MATERNITY BENEFITS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 198, 17 May 1940, Page 8

MATERNITY BENEFITS

Issue Of Supplementary Regulations CASES OF EMERGENCY The Social Security (Supplementary Maternity Benefits) Regulations, 19-10, which were gazetted last evening, are designed to extend maternity benefits to any woman who had made arrangements in accordance with the principal regulations to obtain hospital or nursing services in relation to maternity benefits, but. who subsequently owing to emergency or to circumstances of an exceptional nature is compelled to obtain other services. Since the commencement of maternity benefits cases have occurred of women who bad made arrangements with a contracting maternity hospital or bad engaged the services of a contracting obstetric nurse, but when the services bad been required had been unable to obtain them for reasons beyond the patient’s control, for instance, because the accommodation at the maternity hospital was fully occupied or because the obstetric nurse was not available. In these circumstances it has been necessary for women to obtain, at short notice, hospital or nursing services in respect of which no inateinity benefits are payable under the principal regulations. The supplementary regulations now gazetted empower the Minister of Health, on being satisfied that a woman has obtained skilled services of a kind ordinarily included in maternity benefits, to approve appropriate payment from tlie Social Security Fund for sucli services. The alternative services in respect of which lienelits may be paid under these supplementary regulations are those afforded in a licensed medical and surgical hospital, or in licensed maternity hospital, or by a registered midwife, a registered maternity nurse, or a registered nurse.

Tlie regulations have no application to a woman who lias not made prior arrangements witli a contracting licensed maternity hospital, or with a public hospital, or with a State maternity hospital, or with a contracting obstetric nurse.

Claims for benefits under the regulations may be made in respect of services obtained at. any lime since tlie eoiiimoiicemeti't of maternity lienelits, and should be made to the medical officer of health for the district in which the applicant resides.