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 II. The scheme of national health insurance

Collection:: Economics Books

hy MAJORITY REPORT. “—— 9. The second main cause leading to amendment of the Act is to be found in the War and its economic consequences. It 1s a striking tribute to the general soundness of the lines on which the original Act was constructed that its administration was able to bear the severe strain imposed by war conditions at so early a date in its history. In relation to National Health Insurance the War did. not merely occasion great difficulties in carrying on a scheme largely dependent on voluntary work and still in its early’ stages, but it raised problems calling for legis- lation to secure a measure of adaptation to the new conditions brought about, among many changes, by the absorption of so large a proportion of the population in the Forces, the grant of war pensions to disabled men and the general rise in the level of wages. THE AMENDING ACTS. 10. Without entering into any detail, it may be convenient to refer briefly to some of the more important amending Acts passed during the period under review. The earliest Act was that of 1913, the immediate object of which was to make pro- vision by Exchequer grant for the additional cost of medical benefit. At the same time, the opportunity was taken to give effect to a certain number of minor amendments the need for which had been disclosed in the early period of the operation of the Act. In 1915 and 1917 two Acts were passed in order to effect an adjustment in the rate of benefit payable to discharged soldiers in receipt of total disability pensions. Much more important was the Act of 1918, which followed the Report of the Departmental Committee on Approved Society Finance and Administration. The okject of this Act was primarily to give effect to certain financial adjustments in the Scheme designed to strengthen the position of the weaker Societies ; but it also introduced a large measure of simplification in regard to a con- siderable number of administrative details. Of later measures two, passed in 1919 and 1920, were occasioned by changing economic conditions, the first raising the limit for insurance of non-manual workers from a rate of remuneration of £160 to £250 a year, and the second increasing the rates of contributions and of benefits. Apart from these, it is only necessary to refer generally to the Acts dealing with the cost of medical benefit and to mention as of special interest the Act which made provision for prolongation of insurance in certain cases in order to meet the hardship occasioned by the general prevalence of unemployment. It was inevitable that this con- siderable volume of uncoordinated legislation should add not a little to the difficulties of administration and it was of material advantage to all concerned when in 1924 the whole of the existing legislation relating to National Health Insurance (with the exception of certain temporary provisions) was consolidated

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