Report of the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1740277147

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-132094

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stationery Office

Year of publication:: 1926

Scope:: XII, 394 S.

Digitisation:: 2020

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter X. Proposals for extending medical benefit

Collection:: Economics Books

124 MAJORITY REPORT. given in respect of the insurance contribution stops short just where the need is greatest. In the serious and expensive cases the insured person is thrown back on his own resources or on the limited provision made by the general hospitals. 2692. We feel very strongly that the completion of one, and that a highly important, element ought to take precedence over the introduction of new elements, however desirable in themselves the latter may be. We have indicated in Chapter IX a financial method by which a generous provision of expert out-patient services can be made available without entrenching on the margin in the present contribution disclosed in Chapter VII, which margin we propose (as will be seen in Chapter XI) should be applied in another important direction. This method of providing the necessary funds has, as we consider, the additional merit that it at the same time reduces that disparity of resources between the various Societies which has evoked adverse criticism in so many quarters. But whether the cost of an extended medical benefit is met in this or in some other way, such extension should, as we have said, receive first and immediate consideration. Without it, indeed, the limitations of medical benefit remain the most obvious weak- ness in the whole scheme of benefits under National Health Tnsurance. THE CONTENT OF AN EXTENDED MEDICAL BENEFIT. 263. What, then, should be the content of this extended medical benefit which is to be available for all insured persons until such time, whether near or remote, as a more comprehensive system of health service is evolved? The following should, we think, be provided in addition to the general practitioner treatment of the present contract :— (1) Expert medical advice and treatment for patients who can travel to meet the specialist. (2) Expert advice for persons who are unable to travel. (8) Laboratory services. These elements may be briefly described as ** expert out-patient services ''—a definition which is intended to cover all the out- patient services which specialists give as a class, including, for example. ophthalmic diagnosis and prescription of glasses. THE PROBLEM OF IN-PATIENT TREATMENT IN HoSPITALS. 964. We have not included in-patient treatment in hospitals for a variety of reasons, though that also would form part of a really complete medical service. Under present conditions we must very largely be guided by considerations of cost, and that for in-patient treatment would be very heavy, involving not

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