LODGES AND DOCTORS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 3, 4 July 1922, Page 7

LODGES AND DOCTORS

A WELLINGTON EXPERIMENT

FURTHER CONCESSION MADE,

Two or three years ago, the Southern Cross. ! Lodge of Oddfellows—the senior branch in Wellington of the Independent Order of Oddfellows of New Zealand—instituted a new system of medical benefit, under which its members became free to deal with any medical man they, happen to prefer, instead of being bound, as in the case of other friendly societies, to accept the service' of the doctor or doctors with whom their lodge had made ,a contract. Under the new plan the member pays a fixed fee into the medical fund, and in case of illness' in his family calls in' the doctor of his choice, pays his account in due course, without the doctor necessarily knowing that he is dealing with a friendly society member, and sends the account to the lodge, which has so far' then refunded to him one-half the. amount expended on medical attendance. Tho first complete year's experience clearly demonstrated the popularity and success of the system, and the second -year has -been. even more isatisifactory. Every, member of the lodge, is now a subscriber to it. .Moreover, it has been conclusively, demonstrated that it is established : on a sound, financial basis. Notwithstanding that there have been semi-epidemic periods with the time for which it ;has been on its trial, the medical fund on the altered basis has proved itself able not only to meet all claims upon it, but also to accumulate a substantial surplus. , As' the result of "'■ this accumulation, the executive of the lodge has just issued a circular to its members, announcing an increased concession to them in regard to the proportion of the medical accounts that will be taken off their handsr. At the inception of the 'scheme the undertaking of the lodge was that it would meet one-half the amount of members' medical.paymentg, on' the basis of a fee'of 10s 6d per visit charged by the doctor. Under the further concession, the lodge makes itself liable for the full 10s 6d'fee, in respect of the doctor's first visit, and one-half the balance .of the account. Further, it is intimated there is reason to hope that the time is not far distant when the lodge will be able to refund to members, if not' the wbole of their medical expenditure, at least a- considerable portion.

The experiment of the Southern Cross Lodge is being watched with warm interest by. other friendly societies- all over the Dominion, and there'"are not wanting people who predict that it points the way to the friendly society system of medical benefit of the future, in that it puts the members of such societies on a footing of greater self-' respect than the. "clnb-eontract" plan of the past, distasteful as it has always been to tho medical profession. As an indication of the'public interest aroused by the experiment,'-'it- maybe mentioned that 'the Public Service Association is. considering the question ol' the adoption "'of a similar system with regard to iU meaibeKJiip.