MEDICAL SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 4 December 1940, Page 4

MEDICAL SERVICE

GENERAL PRACTITIONER SCHEME ON BASIS OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT AMENDING MEASURE BEFORE HOUSE [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, This Day. Though it makes no mention of when the new scheme is to operate, a section in the Finance Bill No. 4 introduced in the House of Representatives last evening provides for the inauguration of a general practitioner service under the Social Security Act. The service is based on a mutual agreement between patients and doctors, and the benefits include “all proper and necessary services of medical practitioners except such services as may, in accordance with the regulations, be excluded therefrom, either absolutely or in special circumstances to be defined in the regulations.” The amendment repeals the sections in the principal Act covering the scope of the medical benefits, the making of contracts between the Minister and the doctors, and the right of beneficiaries to select their doctors. The main operative clause provides that a qualified medical practitioner and any person entitled to claim medical benefits for himself or for any member of his family, may mutually agree in the prescribed form and manner for the provision of the service. Medical practitioners who undertake tho service will be entitled to a prescribed fee for each person, but no other payment, except mileage fees which are to be assessed in accordance with the terms of the regulations. Doctors who undertake to give the service automatically enter into a contract which may be terminated only by the Minister on the recommendation of a special tribunal. If any question arises as to whether any service provided by a doctor is within the scope of the medical benefits, the matter shall be determined by the [ Minister of Health after consultation ' with the Advisory Committee provided 1 for under the principal Act. [ The Minister may make special ar- ' rangements for dealing with exceptional cases. , A further amendment to the Act exempts compassionate grants made by the Government or by any employer to ’ a widow in respect of her husband's death from the computation of income for the purpose of application for benefits. The provision relating to the computation of income of widows in receipt of allotments from sons in the armed forces is altered. “Is there any provision for giving free treatment to out-patients?” asked the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) when the Bill was introduced. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said that there was no need for that because it was already inside the law. Mr Holland: They cannot get free treatment. The Minister said the only reason ) they could not was the desire of the 1 Government to make the arrangements with the doctors at the same time. The 1 treatment of out-patients was already under consideration by the Government.