asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that, partly in consequence of the increase in the cost of institutional treatment as a result of post-war conditions, and partly due to serious evasions of the compulsory provisions of the Act by healthy persons, the Sanatorium Benefit Fund under the National Health Insurance Act is insufficient to provide for all insured tuberculosis applicants the benefit and treatment considered necessary for them by the medical adviser to their insurance committee; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to ensure that insured tuberculosis persons shall receive the treatment medically advised in their cases, for the provision of which they have paid their contributions.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - SANATORIUM BENEFIT FUND.
In the case of certain insurance committees the funds provided under Section 16 (2) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1911, have been found, in fact, to be insufficient to provide sanatorium treatment for all the persons making application therefor. Section 16 (3) of the Act provides that an insured person shall become entitled to sanatorium benefit only if the insurance committee recommends the case for such benefit. The number of persons so recommended will vary according to the extent of the funds available by each insurance committee. The matter generally is under consideration in conjunction with the recommendation contained in the Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Health Insurance and Medical Services.