OVER THE ODDS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12198, 24 July 1925, Page 3

OVER THE ODDS

PENSIONERS IN HOSPITAL SHOULD PENSIONS BE ESTREATED P Legal proceedings were recommended to the Capital Bopd by the patients’ fees committee yesterday in four oases where applications' and demands for payment had been ignored. . ,Mr O.'H. .Chapman;desired to Know •the' names before voting for the proceedings. The chairman of the committee, Mr A. J. McCurdy, said one was a master builder, another a carrier, and one was in the Railway Department. They were all aible to pay. The names were given in committee .and the proceedings were endorsed. Mr E. Vine said he would like to raise the question of old-age pensions' in relation to> hospital, maintenance fete; When ojd-age pensioners received treatment / the pensions were confiscated hy the local authorities. In the ease of pensioners who found it convenient .to make their home at Ohiro, Home he had no objection, but those whose circumstances necessitated their receiving ,hospital treatment were likely to be turned out without Is in their pockets. No class of the community was less able to pay than the old-age pensioners, and it was wrong in principle ,to take the pensions to pay . their hospital accounts, especially when the board remitted fees to others not able to pay: them. He moved that the committee take the matter into consideration The chairman (Mr. p. M. Luke): I know of no case where an ,old-age pensioner pays hospital' fees. • The secretary pointed out that in 1919 the principle was, laid down by the board that old-age pensioners should receive, free treatment for .any part of a-month. He-was compelled by law to collect the pensions, but any pensioner leaving in the middle of the month received back his certificate for the whole of the month. The view taken by the Pensions Department was that while in -hospital they were not under any obligation outside for maintenance. Tho Rev. ' J. Lochore pointed out that hardship might arise where tho man with the pension- might be in hospital, leaving his wife, who had ho pension, outside. The. chairman suggested that the matter should, be referred to the committee, as it might be desirable to stcure an alteration by legislation. Mr E. Windley: It is altogether over the odds - that a pensioner should be compelled to pay for treatment. The secretary replied that there had been no cases of undue hardship in Wellington, as the committee had dealt with such oases. Referring to the legal proceedings the Rev. J. Locbore supported the proposal, and said he was convinced that there were cnses in which the defaulter should he made to pay. He had sympathy with those who could not pay, but there were some who could pay and had never paid a single farthing. The matter was then referred to the committee.