NATION’S HEALTH

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20272, 14 August 1937, Page 7

NATION’S HEALTH

AN INSURANCE PLAN. PROPOSALS IN AUSTRALIA. SCHEME FOR PENSIONS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright CANBERRA, August 13. A national health insurance plan for Australia, covering all employees aged 16 and over (except those who are not manual labourers receiving more than £365 a year), is recommended in the report of Sir Walter Kinnear, controller of the insurance department of the British Ministry of Health, who was engaged by the Commonwealth Government to report upon the subject. The benefits suggested are: Free medical attendance and treatment; sickness benefit for men of 20s a week, for women 15s a week, and 3s 6d a week for each dependent child under ■ 16; disablement benefit for men of 15s a week, women 12s 6d a week, and 3s 6d a week for dependent children. Compulsory Contributions. The compulsory contributions would be: Men, Is 3d a week, of which the employer and the employee would pay 7sd each; women. Is 2d, of which the employer and employee would pay 7d each. A widows’, orphans’ and old-age contributory persions plan, closely interlocked with the suggested health insurance project, is also recommended. Sir Walter Kinnear proposes that the Commonwealth should start the pensions plan with a grant of £1,000.000 a year for the first five years, and thereafter increase it at the rate of £500,000 until it reaches a maximum of £10,000.000 in 1960, when the grant would be stabilised. The Pension Fund. It Is suggested that the weekly contributions to the pension fund should be Is 9d in the case of men and lOd in the case of women. Thus, the total weekly contributions shared equally by both employer and employee to Lie combined health and pensions fund would be 3s in the case of men and 2s in the case of women. Contributions by insured persons would cease at the age of 65 in the case of men and 60 in the case of women. Old-age pensioners, states the report, should have free medical benefits for life.