APPENDIX A. 
954.1 
MATERNITY BENEFIT. 
21. The experience of the Selected Societies in respect of claims for 
maternity benefit is shown in Tables C (M.), C (S. & W.) and C (M.W.) 
for men, unmarried women and married women respectively. The 
experience, as summarised at the foot of the tables relating to men and 
married women, shows a declining birth rate from year to year. In the 
case of men, the relation of the claims to the expectation in the several 
age groups does not vary greatly from a constant figure except at both 
extremes of age, and we consider that it will be sufficient to employ issue 
rates equal to 85 per cent. of those incorporated in the present financial 
basis. In the case of women, the experience has departed more widely 
from the basis, and here we think it advisable to use the actual rates of 
the Selected Societies Experience adjusted to secure a smooth progression 
from age to age and otherwise so as to produce an over-all margin of about 
10 per cent. which, we consider, should be added in view of the low birth 
rates in recent years. 
22. The remarkably low proportion (51 per cent. over all, as compared 
with 82 per cent. in the case of men) which the maternity benefit claims 
of insured married women bear to the standard, calls for comment. The 
same feature was shown by the Government Actuary in his Report on the 
First Valuations of Approved Societies (Cmd. 1662), para. 52, to have 
prevailed over the whole field of National Health Insurance in the period 
up to 1918, and in view of its persistence after the special conditions of 
the war years had passed away we are led to think that it is permanent. 
The present basic rates are constructed from the records of births to 
married women in a representative community in the year 1910. A general 
fall in the birth rate has subsequently taken place, but the extent of this 
is not greater than is indicated in the experience relative to the wives of 
insured men. The larger part of the difference in the case of insured 
married worsen affords a clear indication that a much lower birth rate 
prevails among married women engaged in industrial employment than 
among those who are not so encaced. 
Mgeproar, BENEFIT. 
23. The charge upon the funds of Approved Societies for medical benefit 
is fixed by the principal Act at seven-ninths of a sum of 9s. 6d. per insured 
berson per annum, and in estimating the contribution required to provide 
the present benefits we have taken the liability on this basis. The sum 
named does not, however, comprise the whole cost of medical benefit, and 
further provision of a temporary character is made by the National 
Health Insurance (Cost of Medical Benefit) Act, 1924, which comes to an 
end on 31st December, 1926. Such further charges as may be placed upon 
the funds of Approved Societies after this date in respect of medical benefit 
will accordingly fall to be met out of the sum which, at a later stage of 
this Report, we shall advise to be available for new expenditure. 
Mixor Factors. 
24. The present basic assumptions as regards the factor (e) named mn 
Para. 4 above have been adopted without modification. The present basis 
in regard to (f) has been altered so far as is necessary to bring it into 
conformity with the new Life Table employed, as explained in para. 10 
above. So far as concerns (g)—the provision to be made for the sickness 
and maternity benefits of women in Class K—we have examined the actual 
experience of the Class both among the Selected Societies and in other 
important organisations whose data were available to us. On the facts 
before us we conclude that it will be sufficient to provide for the payment 
of maternity benefit in 70 per cent. of the cases in which married women 
enter into Class K and for an average duration of sickness claim of five- 
eighths of a week. It should be added that on this basis the contributions 
A 
A700 
M