1 
MINORITY REPORT. 
extended to include attendance at confinement and dental and 
ophthalmic advice and treatment. 
MEDICAL BENEFIT FOR DEPENDANTS. 
71. The great weight of evidence from Approved Societies 
and from medical and other professional organisations was in 
favour of the extension of medical benefit to dependants. 
72. Witnesses representing many diverse interests expressed 
the view that if the provision of medical services to the dependants 
of insured persons is desirable then the absence of those services 
is a cost to the nation in one form or another. But even con- 
sidered from the narrower standpoint of National Insurance, we 
submit that the future value of present expenditure upon medical 
and treatment services to children and mothers of children may 
be taken into account in estimating the future liabilities of the 
Scheme. We, therefore, submit that medical benefit should be 
provided for the dependants of insured persons. 
Cost oF MEDICAL BENEFIT 
73. The expense of a national system of medical services is 
difficult to estimate, but we submit that it is a fallacy to count 
all expenditure as cost. The state of the health of the people, 
young and old, is such as to be of incalculable loss to the nation, 
and a well-organised, comprehensive scheme must diminish the 
loss with increasing force. 
74. The linking-up of the contemplated medical services with 
other public medical services would in itself effect direct 
economies in administration, and as experience dictated. further 
economies would follow. 
75. We therefore look upon the expenditure on this service, 
not as a cost, but largely as a new channel through which exist- 
ing expenditure is to be diverted, with the difference that the 
new channel is ordered and directed to the prevention of sickness, 
whereas the old method is wasteful, fortuitous, and frequently 
comes into operation too late to be effective. 
76. At this point it will be convenient to refer to the recom- 
mendation in the Majority Report that the first call on the 
margin in the contributions resulting from the proposals of the 
Departmental Actuarial Committee must be the balance of the 
cost of the present medical benefit. (para. 182). 
77. Paras. 180 to 142 of Section C of Appendix I to the 
Minutes of Evidence review the various modifications in the rates 
of payment for medical treatment from 1912 to the present time. 
In that review it is seen that the original estimate of the cost 
of medical benefit was 6s. per head per year and that this amount 
was supplemented by an Exchequer grant of 2s. 6d. per head