MEDICAL SERVICE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20601, 31 October 1941, Page 7

MEDICAL SERVICE

START ON SATURDAY EXCLUDED DUTIES MINISTER’S OUTLINE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A number of questions relating to the operation of the Social Security Amendment Act, which comes into force on Saturday, were answered by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, to-day. He said that although it might appear from the Act and regulations that numerous services rendered by the doctors were being excluded, a careful scrutiny would reveal that, in fact, the great majority of the services rendered by the general medital practitioners would be the subject of benefit. The first service excluded, he said, was the medical service that involved the application of special skill and experience, such as ordinary general practitioners did not possess. Not every service rendered by a specialist was excluded because a specialist might perform the service which could be rendered by a general practitioner. In such a case the first 7s 6d of the fee could be a charge on the social security fund. Administration of Anaesthetics The second class of service excluded referred to the administration of anaesthetics. It was the intention later to make a separate anaesthetic benefit. In the meantime doctors who gave an anaesthetic would not be entitled to claim on the fund. The third class excludes was in relation to maternity, the provision of which already had been made in the maternity benefit section.

The fourth class excluded was that provided by a doctor who was already being paid for services and who would not, apart from social security, have a claim on the Individual for work done. This referred, for example, to doctors in the employ of hospital boards.

The fifth class excluded was medical service to the family of a friendly society member working under the contract system. Mr. Nordmeyer said he would make a statement concerning friendly societies shortly. In addition to these excluded services were those in the regulations gazetted last week, being examinations for life insurance of other purpose, venereal disease for which there were already clinics for free treatment, the extraction of teeth, claims for damages under the Compensation Act and X-ray, or treatment already subject to a separate benefit.

The Minister will make a further statement concerning payments from the fund and the method of claiming refunds at a later date.