I move the Second Reading of the National Health Insurance Bill, 1925. This Bill proposes to continue for another year the Medical Certification Fund, which was set up under the Act of 1924. It also proposes to pay out of that Fund doctors for services rendered in the way of medical certification; secondly, to pay for the scheme of medical referees set up last February, with the approval of the Minister for Finance; thirdly, it proposes to make provision for second medical opinions given prior to the coming into operation of this scheme of medical referees. Before the Act of last year came into operation, medical certification was a charge on State Funds. In that year it became a charge on insurance funds. The funds were provided in the following way: there was a charge of 10d. per member for each member of the approved societies; 10d. per member from the Deposit Contributors' Fund; 10d. per member from the Military Forces Fund, and a charge of 5d. per member on the Exempt Persons' Fund. The 10d. was made up in the following way: 5d. was derived from the saving on the administration of the societies, which was effected in 1923. Heretofore, the cost of administration of the societies was 4/10. That year it was reduced to ?. The first fivepence was derived in that way. Then there was a saving of 2d. in the administration cost of the Insurance Committees. The actuarial estimate was that the administration of these Committees would cost 6d. per member, whereas in actual practice it worked out at 4d. per member. It was considered equitable to divert this 2d. to the Medical Certification Fund. The remaining twopence was also another windfall. There was a margin left. The cost of benefit was a flat rate; the actuarial estimate for the cost of benefit was at a flat rate and the income was three-pence more than what was actually estimated for.
When this Bill was going through the Dáil last year there was a certain amount of criticism. Societies throughout the country objected to the diversion of this fivepence, which was a saving on the administration charges of the societies. The societies maintained that if there was such a saving it should go to the benefit fund of the societies. It was considered this objection was reasonable, and accordingly an undertaking was given that that fivepence should be only diverted for one year. This year we have decided not to take that fivepence, and accordingly there is only a charge of fivepence on the societies this year. The difference between the actual charge on this Medical Certification Fund and what was derived from the societies was made up in the Stamps Sales Account Naturally this year the charge on that fund will be greater as a result of not getting so much from the societies It is proposed to continue this arrangement only for another year. It is hoped that by the end of that period the Commission sitting to inquire into the whole matter will have brought in a full report and then we can go into it fully.
