HEALTH INSURANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 12

HEALTH INSURANCE

A NATIONAL SCHEME PROPOSAL NOT SUPPORTED The question of adopting some form of national health insurance in New Zealand was discussed by the Auckalnd Hospital Board at its meeting on Tuesday. The following motion, of which he had given notice, was moved by Mr. M. J. Savage:— “ That in the opinion of this board steps should be taken to establish a national health service, based upon universal health insurance, co-ordinating all forms of medical, dental, nursing, and kindred services, with payment for services rendered, and providing full medical service to all, irrespective of income.” “In a recent address at the Rotary Club,” Mr Savage said, “ the medical superintendent, Dr J. W. Craven, referred to the great services rendered- in an honorary capacity by the medical profession. That is only one side of the picture. Members of the medical profession should and could be paid for their services, whether in or out of hossafeguard the health of every man, woman, and child in the community, and it is only right that the doctor should be paid for all the work he performs instead of being left with countless unpaid fees.

“ The present methods of financing our hospital system are wrong. What is needed is compulsory insurance of the health of the people. It has been said in some quarters that our system is the best in the world, but that does not make it perfect. People to-day are not getting the best service, because the system is not on a proper national basis.” Dr E. B. Gunson said it was not within the province of the board to express an opinion on the question of private medical practice raised in Mr Savage’s motion. They might be competent to deal with the hospital side of the question but the motion was so all-embracing in its terms that it was difficult to express an opinion. Other members suggested Mr Savage could introduce the matter in Parliament to much better effect. The chairman, Mr Wallace, said the matter was of such magnitude that he did not feel inclined to vote on it without a full study of the information available. , , . The motion was defeated by six votes to three.