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:: Minority report

Collection:: Economics Books

MINORITY REPORT health of its membership. If it is composed of extremely healthy members it can, by providing a wide range of additional benefits, many of a medical character, enable them to become still more healthy. If, on the other hand, it is composed of members whose standard of health is below the average, or who may be engaged in hazardous occupations, or occupations which call for a higher degree of physical strength than others, the current expenditure on cash benefits leaves no margin for surplus, and, as a consequence, that section of the community who need all possible services of a preventive and curative character are limited strictly to the bare statutory benefits of the Act. As we have been told, the position of such a member is as follows :— ““ . . . . the Act goes on providing him with medical treatment necessary for dealing with the consequences of his defective teeth, but unless he happens to be in a Society which has some sort of dental benefit . . . . nothing whatever is done for his teeth.” (Brock, Q. 1,080.) HINDRANCE TO DEVELOPMENT. 54. We consider that the Approved Society system in itself militates against a variety of developments which might be found desirable. HFvidence was given to show (1) that the extension of cash benefits to dependants would accentuate the present deviation from the general average which results from the system of insurance through Approved Societies (Second Report of the Actuarial Committee and Kinnear, Q. 23,460) and (2) that ** it would not be practicable for Approved Societies organised on their present lines to administer Workmen's Com- pensation (Kinnear, Q. 23,461). The Friendly Society Movement was unanimous in desiring the limitation of cash benefits, notwithstanding that the present rates were admittedly insufficient (National Conference of Friendly Societies, Q. 10,649- 10,679: Heather, Q. 5590.) ‘It may be thought that that answer is prompted by selfish motives, or by a desire to protect an existing vested interest. Tf that is so T plead guilty to that quite frankly (Duff, Q. 4,070); and again, ‘‘ We are advo- cating that nothing shall be done which will injure the Friendly Societies.” (Shaw, Q. 10,725.) 55. The Friendly Societies submit that they give an oppor- tunity to the insured population to insure themselves privately, and urge that it is desirable that personal thrift should be en- couraged. We express no opinion on this latter point, but it is important to note that the representative of one of the largest Orders agreed that ‘‘ as regards a very large proportion of seven million people, State Insurance is the only form of insurance they can hope to get.” (Heather, Q. 5,608.) The system is a hindrance to the development of a complete Public Health policy, inasmuch as it is primarily concerned with the distribu-

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