· 17
IV.
Social security benefits
39. Corresponding to the contingencies enumerated in paragraph 1 of this working paper, the following benefits are usually provided under social security
schemes:
(1)
medical care;
(2)
sickness benefit;
(3)
maternity benefit;
(4)
employment injury benefit;
(5)
old-age benefit;
(6)
invalidity benefit;
(7)
survivors' benefit;
(8)
unemployment benefit;
(9) family benefit.
In addition to medical care and cash benefits, a number of social insurance schemes provide various welfare services to persons protected. Such services include Vocational rehabilitation of disabled persons, services for convalescents, vocational training and retraining of unemployed workers, facilities for recreation, etc. Such services are usually provided by the body responsible for the administration of the scheme which is authorised by virtue of the law to operate such welfare services as deemed appropriate and feasible within the limit of its financial resources.
Medical care
40. The purpose of medical ca re under social security is to maintain, restore or improve the health of the person protected and his ability to work and to attend to his personal needs. The most delicate and perplexing problems in the field of social security are those that arise in connection with medical care. Major difficulties in the organisation of medical care services under social security include shortage of financial, personnel and material resources.
A medical care service is expected to provide the
general practitioner care, including visits to the home;
41.
care:
(1)
(2)
diagnostic examination;
(3)
care by specialists;
(4)
pharmaceutical supplies;
following types of
(5) maternity care by qualified midwives or doctors;
56
(6) nursing and maintenance in hospitals;
and
(7)
dental care.
To these may be added such items as various forms of special treatment, rehabilitation services and artificial limbs, convalescent care, home nursing and ambulance services. However, a medical care service that approaches completeness and comprehensiveness is costly. It is true that there are natural limits to the demand for the attention of doctors and for medicine to consume, but these limits will leave possibilities for considerable extravagance which social security in any country can hardly afford. Here again, the policy of gradual extension must be applied to the improvement of medical care services; and at the same time the social security scheme should endeavour to achieve a maximum of economy, i.e. maximum efficacy in return for a given outlay. This depends to some extent on the method by which the persons protected receive medical care.
E-1195-2B:5