LODGE MEMBERS

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

LODGE MEMBERS

SERVICE: BY DOCTORS

There were two main methods by which friendly societies had provided medical care for their members, stated the Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer) today. The first method consisted of the payment to the doctor of a certain sum per quarter by the society, in consideration for which the doctor provided a member and his dependants with free medical attention. The second method _was to allow the member or his dependants to attend anyl doctor,;, and,....on.".production of a •receipt;, lor payment.of ..the account, the -friendly society would pay an amount, usually 7s 6d, for each visit or consultation to the member. It "appeared that the council of the B.M.A. had recently advised its members to terminate contracts under the first scheme.

It was impossible at this stage to say how far this advice would be taken, continued Mr. Nordmeyer, but, even if every doctor decided to terminate his contracts, it would still be some months before the necessary notices would expire, and friendly society members would become ineligible to receive care from the doctor under the old arrangement. During that period the doctor would continue to service a friendly society member and his family as previously and he would receive a certain sum quarterly for this service, such sum being repayable from the Social Security Fund if the lodge cared to make application. In the case where the lodge in the past paid 7s 6d towards the cost of each visit or consultation, the position here was that the lodge member, like any other citizen, could go to his doctor and, on obtaining his receipt, secure • from the Social Security Fund a refund of 7s 6d or 12s 6d for night calls. He might either present his claim personally or allow his lodge secretary to collect on his behalf, and it was understood that lodges would make application on behalf of members generally.