DOCTORS' SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1941, Page 6

DOCTORS' SERVICES

PAYMENTS FROM FUND

MINISTER EXPLAINS

A statement explaining the payments to be made from the Social Security Fund for medical services after tomorrow was made today by the Minister of Health (Mr. j Nordmeyer). Asked if he thought the fees prescribed by the Act would be accepted in full settlement by the doctors, Mr. Nordmeyer replied that at this stage he could not say definitely how , many medical men would be prepared to accept the amounts in full settlement, although he imagined that many of them would recognise that 7s 6d for every consultation represented a very generous return for the services rendered. He understood that in some districts the doctors had decided that they would charge their normal fee of 10s 6d, but until the scheme had been operating for some days it would not be possible to say how many doctors were accepting the amounts mentioned in the Act in full settlement, Payments werento,-,.'be made normally at the rate of ;7s 6d for each visit by a doctor td a; patient or for consultation at the doctor's surgery. This amount would be payable from the Social Security Fund in respect of services rendered between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on week days, but between 9 p.m. of any day and 7 a.m. of jthe following day, or at any time on Sunday, a claim of 12s 6d would be payable from the fund. It was important to know, said Mr. Nordmeyer, that the doctor had to. receive an urgent call during the hours mentioned before the higher ahiount was payable. This meant .that; if a doctor received a ca\l; o^ • .arid* 'attended on Sunday," the mere, attendance would not entitle either doctor or patient to a claim of 12s 6d, but only 7s 6d, from the fund. There was a further provision for payment of a higher amount from the fund in cases where the medicaf service rendered by the doctor was of an unusually time-consuming nature. METHODS OF PAYMENT. The Minister said that there were two methods of claiming from the fund.' The first and simpler method was for the doctor to claim direct. This could be done on the form provided, and' all that was required was for the patient to set out his name and address, the date of receiving the medical service, and to append his ordinary signature. This claim, when countersigned by the doctor, would then be sent to the Medical Officer of Health and would entitle a doctor to.a payment of 7s 6d or 12s 6d, as the case might be. It was hoped that ultimately this method would be adopted by doctors generally as the simplest and most businesslike.' ■ ■.. , • The second method of payment was more involved. In this case the patient would pay the doctor his fee and obtain a :^eceipt for payment, either on the form provided or on a separate receipt. This form, obtainable at any post office, should be sent to the Medical Officer of Health with the doctor's receipt, endorsed on or attached to it; or if this was inconvenient, handed in to the nearest post office. A voucher which could be cashed at the post office would then be sent to the claimant, THE CAPITATION SCHEME. Mr. Nordmeyer said that there appeared to be some confusion concerning the capitation scheme, which began on March 1 last, and the present system. The capitation scheme involved the obtaining of an application card, the signing of this card by the patient, and the acceptance by the doctor of the patient. The doctor in this case received a certain sum annually whether the patient was ill or not. Persons entitled to medical attention under this method would still continue to be serviced by their doctors as in the past months. They would, however, not be entitled to go to another doctor and receive a further payment for that visit from the Social Security Fund except in case of an emergency. If they wished to obtain medical service under the new arrangement it would be necessary for them to give notice to their doctor in terms! of the Medical Benefits Regulations.

There was a further class who were not entitled to claim a refund. They consisted of people living in "special areas" where arrangements had been made with their local doctors to provide them with ordinary medical care during their term of, residence in that district. Such persons would not be eligible to claim for medical services rendered by other doctors unless in case of emergency.