HEALTH POLICY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 3 May 1938, Page 13

HEALTH POLICY

INDEPENDENT CONTROL COMMON APPLICATION BENEFIT FOR ALL LEVY ON FLAT RATE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. “The Farmers’ Union feels that the institution of a sound scheme of national health insurance would avoid much hardship and a good deal of the poverty which follows in the wake of a serious illness in a family of slender means.” said the president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, in the course of a lengthy statement presented to-day before the Parliamentary committee dealing with the national superannuation and health scheme.

“Freedom from worry on account of financial liabilities, and relief from anxiety, we feel would tend to hasten convalescence and reduce the danger of too early a return to work, with the consequent liability to future trouble. There would also tend to be a reduction in the amount of serious sickness and a decrease in the period of invalidity because of early diagnosis.

Guiding Principles

"The main principles which my union considers should guide the formation of a national health insurance policy are:— "(1) The finance and administration of the health and the superannuation schemes should be entirely separate, and each should be complete in itself. “(2) The administration of the scheme should be carried out by an absolutely independent body entirely free from political control and having complete control of the funds which must be vested in that body. “(3) That it be of universal application and all contributors should benefit.

"(4) That the contributions be compulsory on all adult individuals, and that it be completely supported by the contributions of the beneficiaries. “(5) That there should be the fullest freedom of choice as between doctor and patient. “(G) That the control of the scheme should be as decentralised as it can possibly be consistent with the maintenance ol’ uniformity in general policy. “(7) That it should give relief from '.he present inequitable system of taxation for hospital upkeep. “(8) The scheme should be designed, as far as possible, so as to retain the keenness of the medical profession and to maintain the high professional standards now in existence in New Zealand.

Scope of Benefits “Broadly, it is considered that the benefits of the scheme should be available to all contributors and their dependants, and it is considered that these should include facilities to obtain all medical and related services and material neecssary to the safeguarding of health and the efficient treatment of disease, and should also include medical and nursing services for maternity cases.

“In addition to hospital services, nursing services should be available for those parts of the country which are too far distant to benefit from hospitals, and for such cases that may occur where removal to hospital owing to the nature of the case is not practicable.

“It is important that the benefits should be restricted to essentials, as otherwise the schemes may become too heavy a charge, particularly upon the small wage-earners.

"The method of finance is of great importance, and the Farmers’ Union considers that it should be entirely financed by direct contributions. We suggest that there should be a charge at a flat rate per £ on the wages or incomes of all individuals (including Maoris) to finance the scheme.”

volve practically no interference w’.l." the present relationship between doctor and patient, and would avoid the necessity for elaborate administrative arrangements.” Further details appear on page 5.