MAJORITY REPORT. 
197 
an insured person’s title to benefit by reference to his financial 
position retrospectively, and it hardly requires to be pointed out 
that the adoption of such a solution might have the 
effect, and indeed would not infrequently have the effect, 
of granting an insured person medical benefit while his 
earnings were high, and withdrawing it in the subsequent 
period when his earnings might be reduced. This result 
would curiously defeat the whole purpose of the suggestion. 
Apart from such administrative difficulties we feel, moreover, 
that it would be a retrograde step to exclude from the Insurance 
Scheme, or even from the title to medical benefit under the Act, 
any section of the community which hag hitherto been included 
and which has generally, so far as we have been able to gather, 
become not merely accustomed to insurance but appreciative of 
the benefits which it provides. 
460. In the case of non-manual workers, the limit for 
insurability was raised in 1919 from £160 to £250 a year owing 
to the change in economic conditions. We are informed that 
the operation of the limit offers no more administrative difficultly 
than is to be expected (Kinnear (). 36; Leishman Q. 1551). 
Our attention has been called to the fact that the income limit 
for non-manual workers has recently been increased in the 
Workmen's Compensation Act to £350, and a few witnesses 
have suggested that the income limit for non-manual workers 
should be similarly raised for National Insurance (Loyal Order 
of Ancient Shepherds, App. XLIV, 16; Q. 14,076-14,085; 
National Association of Trade Union Approved Societies, App. 
XCII, 55-59; Q. 21,855-21,856). But in regard to this point 
there has always (except for a short period pending the amend- 
ment of the Workmen’s Compensation Act) been a difference 
between the two systems, the original limits having been 
respectively £160 and £250. We doubt whether such an 
extension would be welcomed by those primarily affected, and in 
any case we are of the opinion that any proposal to bring 
National Health Insurance into line in this respect with Work- 
men’s Compensation would meet with strong opposition both 
from employers and from the Medical Profession. In the 
Circumstances, the position should, we think, remain unaltered. 
461. It was suggested to us by the British Medical Association 
that persons such as bank clerks, insurance officials, and others 
Who normally pass beyond the income limit of insurability at a 
Comparatively early age, should be excepted altogether from 
Health Insurance (App. XLVII, 15; Q. 14,877-14,890; 14,914- 
14,926). No claim was, however, made to us by, or in the name 
of, these particular classes of insured persons for their exception 
from the Scheme. On the contrary, we had some evidence that 
the Protection provided by the Health Insurance system is be- 
“oming increasingly valued by persons of this class, and in par- 
ticular that they desire to participate in the valuable additional