office in each commune. These offices will be responsible through the county governments, to the national social welfare board which will in turn coordinate overall operations with the ministries. Thus, management of the actual distribution of the entire range of welfare services is to be concentrated in one unitary office so as to insure that everyone who applies for assistance receives the exact support he requires. In one of the first steps of the plan for total overall of the Danish social welfare system, legislation has been passed which will replace the existing health insurance funds in April, 1973, with a non-contributory national health insurance program. Under the new legisla tion, the health insurance funds, covering 92 percent of the population, will be replaced with a non-contributory health service program corering all residents of Denmark. A new program will provide the identical benefits now being provided by the funds, other than the daily cash benefit. The new program will be administered by the communes and all the employees of the funds who so wish will be transferred over to the commune payroll on the change over date. The new program will be wholly financed out of general taxation. There will be no general contribution by the individual citizen as is now the case with the funds. This mode of financing was adopted because of the feeling in Denmark that a contributory plan discriminates against poor families and families with many children and so should be replaced by a fully tax funded program. It is anticipated that as a result of this change in financing, tax payers in the higher brackets will have to bear a small increase in their share of the overall burden of providing health care by increased taxes. The new legislation was, of course, not passed without opposition from the Association of Health Insurance Funds. However, despite the fact that the Association always has been dominated by the social democratic party, and has served the party well as a minor power base, the official party stand was to accept the improved benefits for the low income groups, even if it meant sacrificing the Association. An important aspect of the reorganization of the Danish social welfare system is the recognition that all social welfare services, including health services, are interrelated. They have recognized the fact that it makes little sense to attempt to operate custodial services, for example: separately from acute health services. APPENDIX 1 HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE ITINERARY DENMARK (Thursday, September 16, 1971) PEDER-LYKKE CENTRE COPENHAGEN The Subcommittee is particularly concerned with the care of the elderly. In Denmark, large scale and effective attempts are being made to provide for the care of the elderly. For that reason, a visit to the Peder-Lykke Centre, a large home for the elderly, was made. The Centre is run by a non-profit, private, (but totally publically subsidized) corporation-Ensomme Gamles Vaern. A brief description of Ensomme Gamles Vaern follows. (455) Management Staff The activities of the EGV extend over all Denmark, the nat efforts being made in the region of Greater Copenhagen. Every pensioner may take part in the activities of the BGV. The economy of the organization is based on a combination of public grants and private contributions. The supreme authority of the EGV is a self-elective Board on which all circles of the population are represented. The EGV is led by an executive committee, chosen by the Boar among its members. The everyday business is run by a salaried manager, and the various branches of activity are directed by activity Heads. The work is based on oo-operation between voluntary, course trained collaborators and a salaried, skilled personnel. Office Day-centres and hobby centres Holiday in Holiday in The Head Office of the EGV is at 2, Tingskiftevej, The main activities and facilities of the EGV (January,1971): The day-centres of the EGV offer a variety of activities The hobby centres are smaller centres for gatherings, hobby work, discussions, celebrations, and singing, and a warm meal, and in general they are open from October till April. The EGV has 17 day-centres and hobby centres in the metropolitan area, and is continually extending those facilities. Every summer, In the early summer as well as in late summer from a the EGV arranges a two weeks' recreation stay for weak and handicapped elderly people in modern, well-equipped holiday resorts near Rome and Naples, travelling out and home by plane (from Kastrup). Danish nursing and care personnel come |