Evening star., 1934-11-02
BY LOUIS M. LYONS.

0SotCHss
BY LOUIS M. LYONS.
When the last word Is to be said
on any subject in England they say 1t
with q royal commission. After is
years of health insurance, q royal
commission reported that national
health insurance has established its
position as q permanent feature Of the
social system in this country and
should be continued on its present
compulsory and contributory basis"
The British Medical Association,
which strongly opposed the English
health insurance law when 1t went
into effect rs years ago, now indorses
It, American medical groups, how
ever, stand against suggestions for
health insurance, on the ground OF
their general objection to the social
ization Of medicine
This British health insurance law
must have gone . long way toward
the Specialization" of medicine, for 1t
fixes the rates at which medical treat
ment is to be given those insured
under the British act. And doctors
cannot well turn their backs on this
kind of practice, for the act embraces
17,500.0O0 potential patients who are
able to pay.
Maternity Benefits.
It covers all persons between IS and
IS II the employments which come
under the act and that means nearly
all except farming and housework and
certain services, such as government
workers, that are separately covered.
It includes sickness benefits, disable
ment benefits and maternity benefits,
and under its wing also come the con-
tributory old-age pensions to which
the insured workers are eligible at
IS.
Unlike most health insurance pro-
grams, the British system does not
include funeral expenses, and an ex-
PLANTATION goes with that: The story
that Lloyd George, who was respon-
sible for the health insurance measure,
reached an agreement with the In
surance companies selling industrial"
insurance to exclude funeral DEMENT'S
in return for their promise not to
oppose the bill.
England has its separate workman's
compensation act. as have most Amer
ican States. The national health
insurance Is for the more ordinary
disabilities Of life, aside from indus
trial accidents.
The weekly contribution comes to
one shilling and sixpence for q man.
thirteen pence for q woman (or about
IS and IS cents, Of which the en-
ployer in all cases pays half The
government pays one-third. All pay
ments are at q nat rate regardless Of
the age at which the worker becomes
insured. The rates are figured to
cover actuarial costs of benefits in the
case Of persons entering the scheme at
age 16, as all workers now do. The
states contribution takes care Of the
deficit in the payments Of those who
entered at older ages.
Sickness Payments.
Sickness payments are paid after
four days absence from work, and can
continue for half . year. with q
further extension of time at half the
sickness rate for q second half
year If disability continues. The
sickness payments are IS shillings
. week (about $3.50 to men and IL
shillings (about $3) to women. Ma
ternity benefits, payable either to an
insured woman or the wife of an in
sured man, come to 40 shillings or
about $40.
Certain additional benefits when re-
quired by special treatment. and
such needs as glasses, are also covered
by the sickness insurance. Medical
attendance and also the doctors pre-
scription at the drug store are pro-
vided in addition to the cash pay
ments Doctors register for this
patronage, with q district committee,
and the insured patient has free choice
from among the doctors registered in
hts district. The doctor Is paid at the
rate Of . shillings (about $2.25 q year,
for every insured person on his list Of
patients. Rural doctors are also al
lowed . certain additional mileage
charge.
Most Of the insured workers re-
ceive their sickness benefits through
cooperative societies administered
under the supervision Of the govern
ment. There are about 1000 Of these
approved societies" operating health
insurance under government regula-
ton. The cost of administration has
been about 1914 per cent Of the total
revenues. BY economical manage
ment Of the funds many Of the So
cieties have been able to increase the
benefits to their members.
Through these societies the Ma
tional Health Insurance Fund pays
out $3.50, 100000 q year in sickness
payments and $25 900 900 more for
operating expenses. The Govern
ment, which theoretically contributes
one-third, actually has to find only
about one-sixth of the total. The in
vested funds Of the 17.500,00 con-
tributors now come to more than
$500. 900 900 and the interest on these
funds exceeds $30.000.O00 q year, re-
ducing to $35, 900 900 what the Brit
ish taxpayer has to meet.
After Is years operation OF the
health insurance scheme the Ency-
clopaedia Britannica says: There is no
doubt that it Is entirely JUSTIFIED by
its results"
tCopyright. 1884 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, 1ne)
Y~h. nr;u> Gle ADAMS