HEALTH INSURANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1936, Page 12

HEALTH INSURANCE «.

NATIONAL SCHEME QUESTIONNAIRE ISSUED Organisations interested in the estab lishment of a national health insur ance scheme are invited by the com mittee investigating the proposal tc submit answers to a questionnaire which has been drawn up with a view to collating opinions. The questions include the following:— NATURE OF SCHEME. Should it tbe contributory or non-con-tributory? Should any. class or classes of persons be exempted from contributions? If so, should minimum and maximum income limits be applied in determining such exemptions? BENEFICIARIES. Should the benefits extend to dependants of the insured? If* so, whc are to be regarded as coming within this category? Should any class of person be entitled to benefits without having contributed, e.g., old age pensioners and unemployed? Should an insured person have his rights to benefits modified in respect of any period during which he is in receipt of payments under the Workers' Compensation Act? BENEFITS. Should any of the following benefits be excluded:—General medical practitioner services; specialist and consultant services; laboratory aids; medicine and appliances; dental treatment; ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances; orthopaedic appliances; nursing and massage services (non-in-stitutional); maternity services (if not provided under other headings); .hospital and sanatorium treatment; transport of patients; sickness benefit and disablpment benefit? CONTRACTS AND THIRD PARTIES. Assuming that the' relative. benefits are;included in the,scheme, ' • What should- be. the. basis of payment for medical ■ services,. that is: general practitioner; specialist; consultant? What should be /the general basis of arrangement for the supply of medicines; appliances? - •; What should be the basis of payment for dental treatment? What should be the basis of paymerit for ophthalmic treatment; optical appliances?' What should be the basis of payment for :non-institutional nursing and massage services? What should be the basis of payment for non-institutional maternity services? What is to be the basis of payment from the fund in respect of treatment in public hospital and sanatoria; private hospitals'? What is to be the basis of payment for ambulance and other transport services? ADMINISTRATION. Should the administration of cash benefits, such as sickness benefit, and disablement benefit, be separated from the administration of benefits in kind, such as medical and hospital benefits? What should be the form of central administration of the scheme? Should there be ■ a specially-constituted central body with executive powers, and if so, what should be its general constitution? Alternatively, should the National Health Insurance administration be made the function of an existing department, or departments, enlarged for the purpose? Should local administration be undertaken by specially-constituted local insurance . authorities? If so, what should be their constitution and functions? ■•.-..- , ■ ■ • To .what extent .should friendly societies and otherr bodies who are already administering . voluntary insurance schemes be entrusted with responsibility under the general scheme? What provision should be made for consultation between. the administrative bodies (central and local) and committees representative . of doctors pharmacists, dentists,: and other similarly affected as contractors for, supply of services? What should be the principal method or methods of payment and collection of income? Should income ■ from all sources be allocated to separate funds for certain benefits or groups of benefits and each such fund or the National Health Insurance Fund as a whole be kept actuarially sound?