§ 21. Mr. BUTCHERasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the Form 110/I.C., which was recently issued by the Insurance Commissioners for England, and which under their advice or direction was circulated 1387 by the various approved societies amongst their members; whether such form contained an intimation or direction to each insured person that if he had not already selected a doctor or institution on the panel list for the district where he lived, he should apply for a medical card to the clerk to the insurance committee on a form which he could get at any post office, and that when he received his medical card he should give it to the doctor on the panel or the institution he wished to select; whether such form conveyed to the insured person the intimation that, if he had not already selected a doctor or institution on the panel, he had a right to select a doctor or institution on the panel and obtain a medical card accordingly; whether there is any ground for the suggestion that such right does not exist in the case of an insured person who did not select a doctor last year and who was provisionally placed by the then local insurance committee on the list of some doctor on the panel; and whether there is anything in the above-mentioned form to give colour to such a suggestion?
Mr. BENNUnder the Regulations insured persons who had selected or been assigned to a doctor in the course of last year are deemed to have selected that doctor for the current year unless they gave the notice required of their intention to make a fresh selection. The advice in question only refers, therefore, to insured persons who are not already on the list of a doctor or approved institution, and who have not been allowed or required to make their own arrangements.
§ Mr. BUTCHERIs there anything in the circular indicating that the right purported to be given is not extended to persons who have not selected their doctor, and that the right is taken away from persons who have been allocated doctors?
§ Mr. BUTCHERIs there anything at all in the circular about allocating doctors to insured persons?
Mr. BENNI have the circular in my hands. "If you have already chosen a doctor or an institution you will in due course receive a card."
§ Mr. BUTCHERIs there anything in the circular referring to allocation?
Mr. BENNThe circular refers to persons who are not on the list of any doctor, and gives them instructions as to what they are to do.