NEW BENEFIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26114, 29 March 1946, Page 4

NEW BENEFIT

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS •——— (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 23. The Minister of Health (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer) announced to-day that from April 1, 1946, a new benefit under the Social Security Act, the Laboratory Diagnostic Services Benefit, would be operative. The purpose of the benefit is to make free to patients such laboratory services as are considered necessary by a patient’s medical adviser in arriving at or forming a diagnosis of the patient’s disability; At present such laboratory examinations, whether carried out at a public hospital or by a private pathologist, are done at the expense of the patient or at the expense of the doctor on whose instructions the examinations are made. The bulk of laboratory examinations are carried out in public hospital laboratories, -and there are in New Zealand only two private pathologists specialising solely in laboratory work.

The regulations make provision for payment to hospital boards and to recognised private pathologists of fees as set out in a schedhle to. the regulations. These fees will be accepted by hospital boards and by recognised private pathologists in full satisfaction of their charges, and no fee whatever will be charged to patients. Laboratory examinations at the cost of the Social Security Fund may be obtained only on a proper medical recommendation, as is the case in other similar benefits, such as the X-ray and massage services.