Dating back to the origins of Freemasonry, health was a big concern of Lodge members. Before the days of universal health care free at the point of delivery existed, the worry of the economic consequences of failing health was pervasive in all but the wealthiest households. A significant function of the earliest Freemasonry lodges was to provide highly localised social security services for Lodge members and their families.
Today, things have moved forward quite considerably since the early years of Freemasonry in that nearly all health protection is self or state provided. In reference to the earlier healthcare function, all Lodges include an appointed officer, the Lodge Almoner, whose function is to check and report on the health and well being of Lodge members. These days, the extent of heathcare support within a Lodge is more likely to be a sympathetic telephone call than anything else but the existence of the office of Almoner within the Lodge serves as a permanent reminder to Lodge members to think of the needs of others.