Mr. DENNISSasked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether, in view of the Report of the Royal Commission on Veneral Diseases that the rule by which approved societies are empowered to refuse sickness benefit to insured persons suffering from such disease is contrary to the interests of public health and national economy, and of the endorsement thereof by the British Medical Association and the conference of industrial assurance approved societies, and of the inestimable advantage to the race as well as to the individual arising from sufferers obtaining proper treatment in the primary stages of the disease, the National Insurance Commissioners will consider the advisability of recommending the Government to guarantee to the approved societies such deficiency in their funds as may result from the relaxation by them of the aforesaid rule?
§ Mr. C. ROBERTSThe rule disqualifying for benefit a member whose incapacity is due to his own misconduct is optional, and can be revoked by any society at its pleasure. The finance of the Insurance Acts, therefore, must be held to include provision for the payment of benefit in such cases. The problem is, in fact, not wholly or mainly a financial one, since the safeguarding of the benefit funds was not the object, so far as I am aware, which societies had in view in originally adopting rules of the kind in question. The whole question, to the vital importance of which the Insurance Commissioners are fully alive, is receiving careful consideration, and I am hoping to have an early opportunity of consulting approved societies with regard to the position under their rules.