MEDICAL SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24474, 6 December 1940, Page 8

MEDICAL SERVICE

OUTLINE OF SYSTEM VOLUNTARY CONTRACTS PER CAPITA PAYMENTS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Dec. 5. . The proposed voluntary system ol general practitioner service, with contracts between doctors and patient* and their families, with the Slate making a per capita payment, was explained by the Minister of Finance, Mi W Nash in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Numerous questions were asked by members ol the Opposition in elucidation of the clauses when the Minister outlined the provisions in the Finance Bill amending the original Social Security Act. Mr Nash said that the clauses in the Bill were of real importance because they amended the existing law covering the general practitioner scheme under the original Social Security Act The purpose of the amendment—there were several purposes—was to allow any person to contract with any doctor for that doctor to attend that person or his family. The doctor could make a voluntary agreement, the State coming in and saying that it would pay so much per capita for the person concerned and his family. Mr G. iV. Forbes (Opposition. Huruniii): How does that work out? Matter for Doctors "A free service so far as the person is concerned," Mr Nash replied. "The doctor renders free service and the State pays the doctor. This is a new procedure under which the patient can say he will come under the Social Security Act for medical attention to his wife and family, if the doctor makes an agreement " What if the doctor says No? " asked Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour Grey Lynn). " Nothing can be done under thai clause." Mr Nash replied'. "A man will have to •find a doctor willing 1o look after him." Mr Lee: Supposing there is a sitdown strike? Mr Nash: 1 don't know how, under the existing procedure, you can compel a doctor to give service to a person and bring that person back to health. That does not alter the fact that this brings in a modified system under which in the agreement between the doctor and the patient the State will pay. There was another provision for grouping, Mr Nash said. If a group could make an arrangement with a doctor to attend its members, the State would then pay. but the idea was to make the procedure a voluntary agreement as between the doctor and groups and the doctor and patients, and the State would then come in and pay. A member: Will the patient know what he can offer the doctor? Mr Nash replied that as soon as arrangements were made under the Bill the State would approach the doctors and discuss the amount that was to be paid. The State was an automatic ally and partner to the agreement. Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont): No more bad debts for the doctors. Mr Nash: I think it is splendid for the. doctors. "The socialisation of doctors' liabilities." commented Mr Lee'. Failure of Negotiations Mr Nash: 1 think that everybody should be paid for what they render, and I hope they will all come in. That would solve a great deal of difficult controversy. The arrangement we discussed with them was for everybody to have treatment. For the last 12 months the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health have done everything possible to reach a voluntary agreement with the doctors without success. There is no ill-feeling between them and the doctors, but the Government feels that the service under the original Social Security Act should be available. The people should get the benefit. "Don't you think you should wait till, the war is over?" asked Mr F. W Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga). There was Government laughter. Mr Nash said the law was parsed before the war started. It was oassed in 1938, long before the war broke out, and it was understood that some time would be required to negotiate with the doctors.

Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford): I think you have put something over the doctors. "We have put nothing over the doctors." Mr Nash replied. The Minister of Health (Mr H. T. Armstrong) asked: " Why are you so suspicious? " This was a simple procedure to get a voluntary system, Mr Nash continued. He said he had set out only the major principles without details, but the Minister of Health would probably have something to say later.

At the last meeting of the Sawyers' Bay branch of the Labour Party it was decided to congratulate the Minister of Health (Mr H. T. Armstrong) on his efforts to complete the medical benefits scheme which, it was stated, was of paramount importance to the public generally.