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HEALTH SERVICES
The Federal Minister
for Health (Sir Earle
Page) has some reason
able cause for the note
of satisfaction that crept
into his review of the
Commonwealth national
health service at the
weekend. If the odd cases
which must occur even
in the welfare state are
excepted, he has some
justification for the boast
that "medical insecurity
has been transformed
into medical security"
during the last five years.
The reduction in the
tuberculosis death-rate is
a far from negligible
one. The pharmaceutical
benefits scheme allows
regular users of life
saving drugs to make
substantial savings. And
increasing numbers of
people have been encour
aged to do something to
help themselves by join
ing medical insurance
organisations.
On the other hand, one
or two reservations may
be noted. "Medical
security" may be, for
instance, too optimistic
a term when benefits are
fixed and hospital and
other medical charges
are high and liable to rise
higher. The tuberculosis
death-rate is down, but
the morbidity of the
disease still constitutes
a problem, and much has
to be done if the stated
objective of eradicating
T.B within a genera
tion is to be achieved.
Millions have joined ap
proved organisations, but
big proportions of the
eligible population are
still not covered, and
cannot claim. full Com
monwealth benefits. If
they suffer financially,
they have themselves to
blame, yet they repre
sent a curious rent in the
national health fabric.
Nevertheless, the Aus
tralian compromise be
tween the extremes of
nationalised medicine, as
in Britain, and complete
laissez-faire has been
proving itself, as far
asit has been tested,
to be a workable one.
The Commonwealth's in
creasing financial obli
gations in this direction
have not prevented tax
reductions. Contributions
to insurance organisa
tions do not have to
be excessive. Essential
freedoms, such as the
choice of medical prac
titioner, remain.
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