42. Mr. FRED HALLasked what steps have been taken to ensure that insurance committees, in forming panels of doctors or otherwise, have consulted local medical committees duly constituted as provided by Section 62 of the National Insurance Act?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)Every duly qualified medical practitioner who is desirous of being included on any panel has a statutory right under Section 15 (2) (b) of the National Insurance Act to be so included. The formation of local medical committees rests with doctors themselves. Their statutory right under Section 62 to be consulted by the insurance committees depends upon their applying to and satisfying the Commissioners that they are representative of the practitioners resident in the area for which the committee is formed, and also upon their receiving recognition by the Commissioners.
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo, Sir. It is a provision under the Act which is certain to be carried out.
§ 55. Mr. CLYNESasked whether the medical benefit scheme provides for members over sixty-five years of age; and whether statements recently issued by the Commissioners deprive persons of medical benefit on attaining the age of sixty-five?
§ Mr. MASTERMANEmployed persons who were over the age of sixty-five on 15th July last are insured under the special provisions of Section 49, under which their benefits are such as their society may determine and can provide out of their own and their employers' contributions and the State 2d. Societies have, in fact, preferred to use the funds available under the Act for giving sick pay, continuing any arrangements they have made in the past for medical benefit from the private funds of the society. Insured persons who enter insurance under the Act before the age of sixty-five are entitled to medical benefit till their death, at whatever age; and I am not aware of any statement to the contrary issued by the Commissioners.
Mr. POINTERWill the right hon. Gentleman tell us how these provisions affect the deposit contributors as distinguished from those who belong to friendly societies?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI must have notice of that.
60. Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether by regulation, advice, or other-wise the Commissioners will prevent approved societies from recognising and acting on certificates of illness given by doctors not on the panel for the purpose of claims for maternity, sickness, or invalidity benefits?
§ 72 and 73. Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked (1) whether a certificate given by a doctor not on any panel will be accepted by the insurance committee as enabling an insured person to claim sickness benefit; and (2) whether, in cases where the insurance committees have permitted an insured person to make his own arrangements for medical benefit, under Section 15 (3) of the Act, the certificate of the doctor attending the insured person, although not on any panel, will be accepted in claiming sickness benefit?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe sickness benefit of members of approved societies is administered by those societies and not by the insurance committees; and, in deciding the nature of the evidence they will demand, the societies will take such steps as are necessary for the protection of their funds and the rights of their members. The evidence of sickness which a society will accept as sufficient for the purpose of giving sickness benefit depends upon the rules of the society, and within those rules upon their discretion in the actual administration of the benefit.
§ Mr. GWYNNEIs it not a fact that the Commissioners have issued hundreds of orders giving advice to all those societies?
§ Mr. MASTERMANOn this subject?
§ Mr. GWYNNEYes.
§ Mr. MASTERMANNot that I am aware of.
§ Mr. GWYNNEWhat is the practice in the case of an insured person who has been twice attended as a maternity case by a doctor not on the panel? Will that insured person be entitled to benefit?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe administration of maternity benefit is entirely in the 2068 hands of the approved society, and that society having the evidence that the benefit has been rightly earned will no doubt pay it.
§ Sir P. MAGNUSThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my first question.
§ Mr. MASTERMANIf the hon. Member will study my answer he will see that his question is fully answered in terms.
§ 77 and 80. Mr. TOUCHEasked (1) whether insured persons who have not applied to be put on the list of any particular doctor will be allocated to the doctors on the panels; and when the allocations will be made; and (2) how long a time insured persons will be allowed to choose a doctor after the lists have been published?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIn cases in which payment by attendance is adopted an insured person need not choose his doctor until he is ill. In areas in which the capitation system of payment is adopted, all insured persons in the area who have not already made their choice will be allocated to doctors on the panel, after a given date to be announced by the insurance committee. Each committee will exercise its own discretion as to the date which it will fix. It is quite competent for an insurance committee, with the consent of the practitioners on the panel, to make at once a provisional allocation of all insured persons amongst the doctors on the panel, with the condition that any insured person so allocated may, if he pleases, within the period announced, select one of the other doctors on the panel.
§ Sir P. MAGNUSMay I ask whether a doctor on a panel can make a bargain to attend a certain number of insured persons and no more?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat depends entirely upon the arrangements he makes with the local insurance committee. I think most of the local insurance committees will allow doctors to do that.