APPENDIX ‘A. 
367 
TEC 
17. It is thus evident that in respect of both men and women the cases 
of frequent claims (which include many prolonged claims) must account 
for an appreciable amount of the total expenditure on sickness and dis- 
ablement benefits. From the point of view of public health as well as 
from that of administration there is undoubtedly much that deserves 
attention in this feature of the working of the Health Insurance system. 
18. Another matter calling for attention, and in this case calling 
urgently, is the excess of the claims of married women over those of the 
unmarried. From Tables IT and IIT (Col. 12) it will be seen that the 
relative proportions of the total membership claiming benefit in a year 
are as follows: — 
Ages. 
20-25 
25-30 
30-35 
40-45 
50-55 
60-65 
as 
ho 
sha 
Percentage of Insured Women 
Claiming Sickness Benefit. 
Married. Unmarried. 
32 16 
24 14 
21 13 
21 14 
23 Lt 
IR 
At the younger ages there may be reason to explain some part of this 
difference, and in addition, possibly, the greater average length of the 
claim. But what reason which does not evoke serious reflections can 
explain the great excess at the higher ages. The figures given, moreover, 
are an average of the three years. The disproportion, either in the number 
of claims or in the duration of claim, is rapidly growing, for the main 
investigation shows that the relation of the average amount of the sickness 
claims of married women to that of the unmarried is becoming more un- 
favourable with each succeeding year. For example, at the important 
groups of ages 20-25, 25-30 and 30-35, the married women’s rates of sickness 
are found to represent the following percentages of those of the unmarried 
class. 
Ages, 
20-25 ... Yor Bh Sod vie 
25-30 ... oe son en 7 
30-35 =... a he x sae 
1 
99 
242 
174 
158 
. 
fi 
Ev 
4 ¢ 
 )9¢ 
J 
284 
198 
171 
199% 
a 
a 
299 
942 
198 
On these figures it is impossible to resist the belief that the. sickness 
claims of married women require more effective supervision than they are 
at present receiving. 
The disablement benefit experience is singularly different from that of 
sickness benefit. Although the proportion of married women who draw 
disablement benefit is greater than the like proportion among, unmarried 
women, the average duration of the disablement benefit claims among the 
unmarried is the greater at all ages, and it is much the greater at ages 
under 45. The figures suggest that the societies tend to concentrate atten- 
tion on the claims of married women when these have reached the disable- 
ment stage. It would seem that a much more comprehensive policy of 
supervision is called for. 
Government Actuary’s Department, 
Treasury Chambers, 
Whitehall, S.W.1. 
September. 1925. 
Vi