20 JULY 1929, Page 31

No MEDICAL TEST.

Group - life a.surance is sold, as is generally known, without any medical examination being required. The assurance company assumes that ability to hold a place in the employer's. organization is a sufficient guarantee of health. At the same time, it is known that every con,. siderable group contains individuals who would not be, able to secure life assurance at any cost owing to physical defects if they were to apply for it individually, so that the group plan means that many families are able to secure life assurance protection which they would other:. wise not be able to get. One of the most popular features of group assurance, and one which is greatly appreciated in this country, is the fact that an employee who is a member of a group assurance scheme may on leaving his employment and the particular scheme of which he was a member convert his group assurance into an individual policy at his attained age without medical examination. The scheme chosen for illustration above was adopted for a staff numbering about five hundred. It commended itself so well to these men and women that within a few days of its announcement more than 98 per cent. of all eligible staff employees had joined. For the much larger number of works employees a group life assurance scheme has been adopted. For a weekly payment of 3d. all who join the assurance scheme are assured in the sum of £100. All present employees are eligible and new employees will become eligible after three months' service.

This scheme has the usual features. No medical examination is required, in the case of total disability before sixty the assurance will be paid in forty monthly instalments direct to the assured person, and the assurance may be converted without medical examination to an individual policy if the worker leaves the company's employment. In both the group assurance scheme for work's employees and the pension and assurance scheme for staff workers, free nursing service by a staff of qualified visiting nurses is provided. This is a new and unusual development and one that is proving exceedingly welcome to those who come within its scope. There is no charge or deduction from any other benefit by reason of the nursing service. The nurse only calls when directly requested to do SO by: he employee. This stipulation is made by the assurance company guaranteeing_the benefits under the scheme in order that there may be no suggestion or suspicion of industrial espionage in connection with the visits' of the nurses.