§ 37. Sir K. WOODasked the Minister of Health whether he can now make a further general statement as to the results of the third valuation of approved societies, particularly so far as reserves and additional benefits are concerned?
§ Mr. GREENWOODAs soon as possible after the third valuation has been completed, a general report by the Government Actuary on the results of the valuation will be presented to Parliament. In the meantime I am not in a position to make a statement of the kind referred to by the right hon. Member.
§ Sir K. WOODWhen does the right hon. Gentleman expect to receive the Government Actuary's report?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI should not like to pin myself to a date.
§ 48. Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Health what are the future liabilities against which the sum of £127,000,000 to the credit of the National Health Insurance Fund has been accumulated; and by what sum, approximately, annually this credit is being added to?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe sum to which the hon. Member refers is represented, in the main, by the funds of the approved societies. It is required to supplement the contributions as the insured grow older and the claims for sickness and. disablement benefits increase, to meet the cost of additional benefits provided wholly out of surplus capital as ascertained on valuation, and to cover the cost of medical benefit after the age of 65 when contributions have ceased. In answer to the latter part of the question no general average can be given. The position varies from society to society, but taking all societies together a decrease of ½2½ millions was sustained in 1929 followed by an increase of £1,000,000 in 1930.
§ Mr. REMERIs it really necessary that this fund should go on increasing to this very huge sum year after year, and should not some steps be taken to deal with this serious charge upon industry?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI think the hon. Member is raising a question with the answer to which he would not agree if I gave it. The point is that this fund belongs to 7,000 societies.
§ 51. Mr. ALBERYasked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the cases which have been brought to his notice in which panel patients experience great difficulty in complying with the necessary formalities for appealing against a decision by the regional medical officer; and if he is taking any steps to remedy this state of affairs?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI understand the hon. Member to refer to cases in which an approved society has decided, after receiving a report from a Regional Medical Officer, that a member is not incapable of work, and the member has desired to appeal against that decision. The procedure in such cases is laid down in the rules of each society and I have no reason to think that such procedure ordinarily causes undue difficulty to the insured person, or that any general revision is called for; but, if the hon. Member will let me know of any particular case in which an insured person has had difficulty in complying with the requirements of the rules of his society, I will look into the matter.
§ Mr. ALBERYHas the right hon. Gentleman now had time to consider the urgent case of a lady in Northfleet, to which I have drawn his attention and in regard to which the only reply I have received so far consists of two circular letters bearing the lithographic signature of one of his assistants?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have the case in mind, and, if the hon. Member will write to me personally, I will see that the matter receives attention.
§ 55. Mr. ALBERYasked the Minister of Health what provision is made for the medical attendance and treatment of an insured person who, at the commencement of a quarter, feels he cannot any longer accept medical attendance and treatment from his insurance practitioner, and, when the consent to transfer by that practitioner is refused, is the insured person compelled to pay for his medical attendance and treatment by another doctor during the remainder of the quarter until the transfer is effected by giving one month's notice to the insurance committee?
§ Mr. GREENWOODIn the circumstances stated in the question the insured person would normally be expected to apply for any necessary treatment to the insurance doctor on whose list he remained; and if he applied for treatment to another doctor, any charges for such treatment would not be payable out of insurance funds. But in case of accident or other sudden emergency, application could be made by the insured person to another insurance doctor for treatment at the cost of insurance funds, if the doctor on whose list he remained, or his deputy, were not available.
§ Mr. ALBERYDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that persons desirous of changing their medical adviser are involved in expense during the period of notice, which is a considerable one?
§ Mr. GREENWOODYes, but the approved societies have themselves agreed to the new arrangement made with regard to the choice of doctors. There has been no interference with regard to the change of doctors against which the approved societies made a protest.