asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that irritating and unnecessary delay is being experienced by insured persons who apply for national health benefit; and if he will take steps to remedy this unsatisfactory position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Health Benefit.
I am not aware of any undue delay in the payment of benefit by the National Health Insurance Society, but, if the Deputy will let me have particulars of any individual cases in which delay appears to have occurred, I shall have inquiries made in the matter. The Deputy will, of course, appreciate that responsibility for the payment of national health insurance benefit lies with the National Health Insurance Society which is an autonomous body.
Does the Minister not realise that complaints of delay are so numerous that it would be impossible for any Deputy to compile them and, secondly, does he not realise that even at present there is a duplication of forms which tends to delay the payment of benefit to the extent that some of the applicants are unable to fill in any of these forms properly?
I am aware of no such situation as is suggested by the Deputy. I suggest to him, and to other Deputies in the House that if they will furnish me with evidence that there is delay, I shall be only too glad to have the matter investigated. I am assured however by the society, on whom the responsibility for the payment of benefit primarily devolves, that there is no delay and that cheques for benefit are despatched in the overwhelming majority of cases within three days of medical evidence of the incapacity being received at the society's head office.
Does the Minister realise that there is at present a certain form, Form 5, which calls on the applicant to fill in certain particulars purporting to show that any illness or injury from which he suffers was not caused as result of an accident arising out of his employment or was not an injury for which he would be entitled to common law compensation? Is he further aware that in addition to Form 5, the applicant is called upon to fill another form, Form 27, which deals with the question of workmen's compensation and common law damages? Does the Minister not realise that there is duplication in this matter which could easily be obviated?
Whatever queries are made are the same as have been made for the last 20 or 25 years.
Sixteen years.
As Deputy Traynor has suggested, whatever forms are in use have been in use for the past 16 years. It seems to me that the queries to which the Deputy referred are so simple that any ordinary person would dispose of them in a matter of minutes. If a person has suffered an accident arising out of or in the course of his employment, he claims under the Workmen's Compensation Act. If he is claiming in respect of ordinary sickness, he claims under the National Health Insurance Act. It is a simple and expeditious matter to decide under what heading a person is claiming benefit. I do not think there can be any greater simplification of the forms than that which exists at the moment.
Does the Minister realise that in the particular case which prompted me to put down the question the applicant was served with Form 5 and, having filled it adequately, he inquired as to the cause of the delay in getting his benefit? He was immediately served with another Form 5 to fill up and he was subsequently served with Form 27. He is still waiting, after practically two months of filling forms, to receive the benefit to which he is justly entitled.
I take it the Deputy is anxious to have the claim paid expeditiously and so am I. If, therefore, he will send me particulars of the case I will have inquiries made to find out in what manner that case was dealt with and whether there was any avoidable delay, and, if so, to take whatever steps are open to me to try to prevent a recurrence of the circumstances which gave rise to any delay which might have taken place.