MEDICAL SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1942, Page 9

MEDICAL SCHEME

MINISTER TO REPORT

It is the intention of the Minister of Health (Mr. A. H. Nordmeyer) to present a report shortly dealing with the cost of the Social Security medical scheme and covering the first three months' operations. The medical scheme, he stated in an interview, was proceeding very satisfactorily.

The Minister said that allowance must be made for "the time lag." Many patients did not pay cash on receiving treatment, which meant that a month at least passed before doctors rendered their accounts, and it might be another month before payments were made, after which the patient would make application for the Social Security refund.

Although opinions might differ, the general impression was that doctors were busier than hitherto, and while that would indicate people were taking advantage of the scheme, it must also be remembered that many medical men were with the forces, which, of course, meant more work for the doctors at home.

Regarding the pharmaceutical scheme, Mr. Nordmeyer said that this was keeping well within the estimates. It was noteworthy, however, that there had been some change in the balance of business, and as an instance, the Minister cited the case of the U.F.S. Dispensary in Wellington. Before the introduction of the Social Security scheme, people came there from all parts of Wellington for their prescriptions, but now, however, it was noteworthy that suburban chemists were handling a proportion of the work hitherto performed by the U.F.S pharmacy.

The Minister also mentioned that with the growth of the pharmaceutical scheme, there had been a marked falling off in the consumption of patent medicines.