NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21907, 7 October 1936, Page 10

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

Advice Solicited In Questionnaire

ORAL EVIDENCE TO BE , TAKEN LATER

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.!

WELLINGTON, October 6.

An indication of the possible de* velopment of the Government’s policy for the national health insurance scheme can be obtained from a general questionnaire which has been drawn up for submission to persons and organisations likely to be interested in its operation. The questionnaire, it is understood, was approved this morning by the general committee investigating the question, and copies of the questiohnaire were dispatched to-day The questionnaire. which invites comment on specific points covering all aspects of any proposed scheme, is to be given wide circulation. It will be distributed to doctors, dentists, nurses, insurance companies, friendly societies, actuaries, hospital boards, and other professional Individuals and organisations. An elaboration of the views on any question is invited, and it is indicated that any phases of the subject not covered in the questionnaire may be the subject of separate statements. It is also intended to arrange for taking oral evidence, according to the necessity as revealed by replies received to the questionnaire. The questionnaire, a copy of which was released for publication this "evening by the Minister for Health (the Hon. P. Fraser), is subdivided under several main headings. In commenting on the hature of the scheme, recipients of the questionnaire are invited to state whether or not it should be contributory, whether any classes of persons should be exempt from contributions, and, if so, whether minimum and maximum income limits should be applied in determining exemptions. Beneficiaries Under the Scheme Dealing with beneficiaries, the points submitted are whether benefits should extend to the dependents of the insured and, if so, who are to be regarded as coming within that category. The question is also raised whether any class of person, such as old age pensioners and unemployed, should be entitled to benefits without having contributed. Another query is whether an insured person should have his rights to benefits modified for any period during which he is receiving payments under the Workers Compensation Act. Under the heading of benefits, it is asked whether any of the following should be excluded: General medical practitioner services, specialist and consultant services, laboratory aids, medicines and appliances, dental treatment, ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances, orthopaedic appliances, non-institutional nursing and massage services, maternity services, hospital and sanatorium treatment, transport of patients, sickness benefit and disablement benefit.

Contracts and third parties are dealt with under a separate heading. Assuming that the relative benefits are included in the scheme, information is sought about the basis of payment for medical services classified as general practitioner, specialist, and consultant, the bas> of arrangement for the supply of medicines and appliances, the basis of payment for ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances, and for noninstitutional nursing, massage, and maternity services. Opinions are also invited as to the basis of payment from the proposed fund for treatment in public hospitals and sanatoria on the one hand ana private hospitals on the other, and there is a further request to define the basis cf payment for ambulance and other transport services.

Questions on Administration

A long list of questions is submitted with a bearing on administration. It is asked whether the administration of cash benefits, such as sickness or disablement benefit, should be separated from the administration of benefits in kind, such as medical and hospital benefits. In the central administration of the scheme, points raised are whether there should be a specially constituted central body with executive nowers, with a request for an outline of its general constitution or alternatively whether the national health insurance administration should be made to function of an existing department or departments enlarged for the purpose. Other points refer to the advisability or not of having local administration undertaken by specially constituted local insurance authorities, the extent to which friendly societies and other bodies which are already administering voluntary insurance schemes should be entrusted With responsibility under the general scheme, the provision which should be made for consultation between administrative bodies and committees' representative of those supplying services under the scheme, and the principal method or methods of payment and collection of income. A final clause asks whether the income from ail sources should be allocated to separate funds for certain benefits or groups of benefits and whether each such fund, or the national health insurance fund as a whole, should be kept actuarily sound.