HEALTH SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23022, 27 April 1938, Page 14

HEALTH SERVICE

HOSPITAL BOARD'S VIEWS POINTS OF DIVERGENCE SCOPE AND FINANCE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The attitude of the Hospital Boards' Association of New Zealand toward the Government's health and superannuation proposals was set out in a report presented by Mr. J. W. Dove, president, and Mr. E. Cannons, secretary, who attended the sitting of the Special Parliamentary Committee to-day. The association summarised its views on the main points of divergence from the Government's proposals as follows: (1) A complete service embracing a full range of health service benefits to those most in need of them (those on the lower income scale) is preferable to a limited range of benefits available to all. (2) A contributory basis j>f finance by the insured, the employer and the State is preferable to the proposed direct tax.

"In submitting the views of the hospital boards we rely upon consideration previously given by the boards to the matter of health insurance," said the report. "The Government's proposals have not had the consideration of the hospital boards as a whole, but the boards will meet later to discuss the complete scheme with a view to ascertaining the manner in which they can co-operate." An outline was given of proposals approved at a general conference of hospital boards in 1935, when it was resolved to urge the Government to introduce a compulsory scheme of national health insurance. The income limit then suggested was £3OO, with an allowance of £SO for each dependant, and contributions were to bo subsidised by the State. Other recommendations were that the scheme should apply to persons in receipt of salaries and wages between the ages of 16 and 65, that it should include dependants of the insured and that the Health Department and hospital boards were suitable agencies to represent the Government and the local insurance committees. Willingness of the boards to co-operate fully with the Government could be taken for granted. Concerning the provision of free hospital and sanatorium treatment for all the Hospital Bonrds' Association assumed from previous evidence that any member of the community would be entitled to hospital care in an institution under the control of hospital boards with full relief from personal liability. The payment of about 6s a day as as grant out of the social services fund had been suggested by the actuary as a basis of payment for hospital care. It was submitted that the new source of revenue produced by the 6s a day would be cancelled out by filling the present shortage of beds, estimated at 1000, extensions of out-patients' departments and payment of the present honorary statf. since honorary service could not be reconciled with free hospital treatment tor all.