THE INSURANCE ACT.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXVII, Issue 4514, 11 April 1913, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE INSURANCE ACT.

Tho debate which took place last Friday, says a London Paper, in the House of Commons an tho supplementary estimate for the medical benefit under the Insurance Act gave the Chancellor of tho Exchequer an opportunity to explain what has been, done in this respect. There are now about 15,000 doctoivj on tho panels, and in very few districts is there an inadequate supply for insured persons. Ho was -able to report that very good progress is being nmdo with provision for tho treatment of consumptive persons. About 5,000 persons have been recommended for treatment, and, as ho rightly said, it is very probable that few of these would have had any medical attention if it had not been for tbo Insurance Act. Thero is a good deal of truth., ftoo, in the Chancellor’s statement that thousamis of poor people are now. receiving medical treatment for illness and disease who hut for the Insurance Act would have had to rely upon dispensary aid : but ho is also justified in taking pride in tho fact that the Act has been put into operation with so little irritation. Much of the credit of that is duo to tho chairman of tho Insurance Commissioners, Sir Robert Morant, whose remarkable organising ability has found a very suitable sphere in this work. The .Art will require amendment, as the Chancellor readily confessed, but if the amendments ore to bo of value they will have to wait until we have sufficient experience of the working of tho Act to enable the Government to do the best thing. It is a very .easy thing to find small faults in the administration of the Act, but, considering how complicated it is, and remembering-that it has to deal with 1-1.000,000 person*, it is simply wonderful that it is working so smoothly.