HEALTH INSURANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22117, 24 May 1935, Page 12

HEALTH INSURANCE

PLAN FOR NATIONAL SCHEME COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Thursday The question of a national health insurance scheme is being investigated by a committee appointed by the Government. The Hospital Boards' Association at its annual conference in 1929 instructed its executive to formulate a scheme for free hospital treatment of wage-earners and dependants, the cost to be met by a compulsory levy on wages. The result was the presentation to the recent conference in Napier of a scheme for national health insurance. This report was forwarded to the Government by the conference, which urged that legislation be introduced to give effect to it. The committee appointed by the Cabinet to advise it comprises Dr. M. H. Watt, Director-General of Health, Mr. R. Witherford, superintendent of the National Provident Fund, Professor H. Belshaw and Dr. W. B. Such, economic and financial secretaries on the staff of the Minister of Finance. It is understood that this committee is not exclusively concerned with the scheme submitted by the Hospital Boards' Association for national health insurance, and that it includes within the scope of its order of reference the much wider subject of national contributory pensions. The Dominion Friendly Societies' Council is to mcot in Wellington next week for consideration of the position, and its proposals should have an important hearing on the Government's plans.