The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-09-23
against invalidity and old age.

The chief organization for insurance
against sickness is the local sick funds
(Vorts-K rankenkassen), incorporated as
sociations of separate industries, man
aged jointly by employers and employ
ed. Premiums for such insurance are
raised by weekly contributions, fixed
according to the requirements Of the re-
spective funds and made by employers
and employees in the proportion Of one
to two. Besides these local sick funds,
a few other forms Of organization are
permitted. The law makes insurance
obligatory, inasmuch as every working
man becomes a member of his respective
association Immediately upon taking up
a certain occupation.
Sickness insurance went into effect at
the end of 1884, and, according to the
first statistical reports of the year 1885,
the total number of beneficiaries was
8, 200, 600. Ten years later Tin 1890 the
number had risen to 1900, 900. The
following benefits are realized from
sickness insurance-viZ, medical treat
ment, medicine and other sickroom sup
plies and weekly cash indemnities.
When a patient is treated in a hospital
at the expense of the fund, his family
receives cash assistance. At the birth
of a child a cash contribution is given
the mother if she is Il member of the
association. In case of the death of a
member his family receives a fixed sum.
Within the last few years a special
branch. for the care of the sick and Of
convalescent patients has been estab-
lished, legislation quickly sanctioning
this branch of insurance. The total
number of cases of sickness entitled to
the benefit Of such insurance was, in
1885. 1880, 900, and in 1894, 2,490, 900.
Disbursements covering the cost of sick
ness amounted in 1894 to S25 600, 600
as against only $12, 600, 900 in 1885.
Very interesting is the fact that the
thoroughness of the care Of the sick has
gradually increased. While the average
expense Of a single case amounted to
ST.. so in 1885, it rose to $40 in 1894.
he expenditure for a days sickness has
also increased from AZ to 81 cents. In
the first decade the total expenditures
for the cost Ct sickness amounted to the
respectable sum Of $3.50, DOC, 900.
Under the influence Of workingmen
insurance a very much harder race of
men is growing up. The need for the
sickness insurance law is clearly shown
by the fact that the cause Of the impov-
erishment Of numerous workingmen's
families, in the absence of such insur-
49, =, C,,,,l -, ti,,;, ,~+ ,o,o;1;,~
sufficient assistance during the sickness
Of their breadWinners, and chat assist
ance is usually given them only after
everything the family possessed in saw
ings, furniture, tools and clothing has
been sacrificed for the care of the sick
and for the scantiest support. Therefore
with many workingmen a serious ILL.,
ness results in q diminution OF earning
capacity, if not in a total incapacity to
earn a living for the rest of their days.
Neither should l forget to mention
the beneficial results obtained through
sickness insurance. because of the time
ly beginning OF the relief it brings ard
because OF it's net ending its care pre-
matureiy. Formerly the uninsured
worklngman sought medical advice en-
ly in serious cases. and nearly always
when it was too late. The nottingham
has now become accustomed to the adj
vantage of medical advice gratuitously
placed at his disposal at the slightest
disturbance of his health. He stops his
work if necessary and takes it up again
only after full recovery.
The second branch of the insurance