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National Insurance Act, 1911.
The provisions of the National Insurance Act, 1911,
will in the near future materially assist the local authority
in dealing with the problem of tuberculosis.
Section 16 requires Insurance Committees to make
arrangements to the satisfaction of the Insurance Commissioners
with a view to providing treatment for insured
persons suffering from tuberculosis (a) in sanatoria and
other institutions, with persons or local authorities
(other than Poor Law authorities) having the management
of sanatoria or other institutions approved by the
Local Government Board, (b) otherwise than in sanatoria
or other institutions, with persons and local authorities
(other than Poor Law authorities) undertaking
such treatment in a manner approved by the Local
Government Board. The same section provides, for the
purpose of defraying the expense of providing this treatment,
the sum of 15. 3d. per annum in respect of each
insured person payable out of the insurance fund. A
further sum of 1d. in respect of each insured person is
available from the Exchequer, but may be allocated by
the Insurance Commissioners to research. It is further
provided that insured persons cannot claim treatment as
a matter of right, but must be recommended for sanatorium
benefit by the appropriate Insurance Committee.
Section 17 enables Insurance Committees, if they
think fit, to extend similar treatment to the dependants
of the insured, or to any class of such dependants, and if
the sums made available by section 16 are not sufficient
to provide for the treatment of such dependants, the deficit
may be made up in equal shares out of moneys provided
by Parliament and out of money derived from the county
or borough rates, provided that the expenditure occasioning
the deficit has received the sanction of the Treasury
and of the council of the county or county borough.