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 XI. Proposal for dependants' allowances

Collection:: Economics Books

MAJORITY REPORT. Approved Societies, App. XCII, 111-112; Q. 22,049, 22,052; Standing Joint Committee of Industrial Women’s Organisations, Q. 28,151), that there is no logical reason why the rate of benefit should be reduced after 26 weeks of illness, as the need for financial assistance would ordinarily become greater with the prolongation of illness; and it was urged upon us that in order to mitigate to some extent the distress which must often arise by reason of the scanty provision afforded by the present disable- ment benefit, the rate of that benefit should be increased. This point of view commands respect, but the proposal to which it leads must be examined in the light of experience. On this it has to be said that the reduction of the rate of benefit after 26 weeks is not a novel feature of sickness insurance introduced for the first time by the National Health Insurance Act. While the period after which it is made is not invariably 26 weeks, such a reduction is universal in the practice of Friendly Societies and of those Trade Unions providing sickness benefit. The necessity for it has arisen on financial and administrative grounds, and we are advised that in the few cases in which in the past Societies have attempted to dispense with it, the hard facts of experience have enforced its adoption upon them. The present system, so far from having gone unquestioned, was the subject of attack, on the very ground submitted by our witnesses, so long ago as 1835, when Ansell dealt with it in his treatise on Friendly Socie- ties. The writer in question was an actuary of eminence in his day, and his views might have been expected to obtain a con- siderable degree of acceptance. In this respect they either failed to appeal, against the teachings of experience, or if put into practice, were discarded when their impracticability was demonstrated. 318. We cannot ourselves assume the responsibility of advising that the lessons of experience on this important subject should be disregarded however reasonable in logic is the plea submitted to us. We have nevertheless thought it proper to refer the matter to the Actuarial Committee. It will be seen from their Report that after making allowance for the recent experience as to the cost of disablement benefit and for a further margin of 20 per cent. to meet the strong probability, dictated by the practical experience to which we have referred above, that an increase in the rate of disablement benefit would involve a greater frequency and a greater duration of claims, the margin in the present contribution would allow for an increase of 2s. 6d. a week in the case of men but only of 9d. a week in the case of women. Here again we are faced with the difficulty that within the limits of the present contribu- tions, men would be given a substantially better treatment than women. We do not think that a mere addition of 9d. to the present rate of 7s. 6d. is worth serious consideration. Beyond this, as we have indicated, we are very much impressed with

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