MINORITY REPORT.

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(8) General practitioner clinics.
(4) Laboratory services.
‘%' Nursing for insured persons.
‘€) Health lectures. (App. CIII.)
65. In our view the extension proposed will still leave out of
medical benefit services which the evidence has shown would
tend both to prevent sickness and to effect a speedier and more
complete cure of the insured person.

66. As both these results are not only desirable in themselves,
but would be accompanied by economy of expenditure on cash
benefits, we submit that the provision of a complete medical
and treatment service should not depend for its financing
entirely upon current contributions. We agree with our colleagues
 that ‘‘ considering the beneficial results on the health
of the insured community which ought to follow from the medical
service provided by the Act . . . . it is not unreasonable
to look for improved conditions so far as the claims are concerned.’’..
 (para. 177.)

67. The experience of administering the insurance medical
service gained since 1912, which has made practicable many
desirable developments impossible at the inception of the
Scheme, should enable an estimate to be made of the future
effect of a considerable extension of that service upon expenditure
 on cash benefits. In other words, the loading for actuarial
safety of the cost of cash benefits should be affected by the kind
and extent of preventive and curative services available for the
insured population. The following extract from the evidence
affords an example in relation to dental benefit merely.
“ . . . . I think the experience of those Societies that
have provided dental treatment . . . . does give ground
for hoping that systematic dental treatment would lead ultimately
 to a reduction of sickness benefit claims . .
(Brock, Q. 23,914.)

68. The National Conference of Friendly Societies (App.
XXVI), the National Association of Trade Union Approved
Societies (App. XCII), the British Medical Association
(App. XL/VII, 20) and other organisations are unanimous in
advocating great extensions of medical benefit.

69. As to the desirability of including dental advice and treatment
 within the range of medical benefit, it was stated by a
Departmental witness that ‘ something like three-quarters of
the industrial population probably are suffering from dental
defects of one sort of another.”’ (Brock, Q. 23.914.)

70. We therefore recommend that medical benefit, extended
as recommended in the Majority Report, should be further

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