Earl of DALKEITHasked the Minister of Health whether he is taking any action and, if so, what to terminate the grant made to friendly societies in respect of those members affected by Section 15, Sub-section (2) (e) of The National Health Insurance Act, 1911, reproduced in The (Consolidated) National Health Insurance Act, 1924, Section 24 (2) (e); and whether he will state his reason for this action?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI beg to refer the Noble Lord to the reply which I gave on the 7th instant to a question on this subject by the hon. Member for Deritend (Mr. Smedley Crooke).
Earl of DALKEITHasked the Minister of Health why the sums paid to friendly societies for medical treatment for those persons affected by Section 15, Subsection (2) (e) of The National Health Insurance Act, 1911, reproduced in The (Consolidated) National Health Insurance Act, 1924, Section 24, (2) (e), are less than those paid in respect of insured persons?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe noble Lord appears to be under a misapprehension in this matter. The cost of the medical treatment of persons affected by the Subsection cited, not being insured persons under the National Health Insurance Acts, has to be paid out of voluntary side funds, by the friendly societies of which they are members. Under arrangements formerly in vogue special Exchequer grants were paid in respect of each insured person entitled to medical benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts, to supplement the amount available for that benefit out of the national health insurance funds of approved societies. So long as those special Exchequer grants towards the cost of medical benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts continued, grants of corresponding amount for each member affected were paid to any society which provided 1591W medical treatment for persons of the class specified in the Sub-section cited. The special grants in the case of persons insured under the National Health Insurance Acts came to an end at 31st March, 1922, since which date the cost of the medical benefit of such persons has been met wholly out of the national health insurance funds of approved societies. Ag a special concession, however, a special Exchequer grant in respect of persons affected by the Subsection referred to in the question continued to be paid for some years longer as an ex gratia grant to the societies of which they were members.