We Love Our NHS

[kingandy]

Yeah that private healthcare option scam they have going in the States sounds like a great idea.

Government-funded healthcare? Won't somebody think of the poor insurance companies?

Comments

[zombie-all-star.livejournal.com]

Free Market:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_market

So, let me get this straight... You want to live in a barter society?

Also, I really don't think any of us are advocating bread queues or actual socialism.
I think we're coming from the position of:

We live in a country where we are guaranteed a basic standard of health care by the not unreasonable amount of taxes we pay. We have the option of purchasing additional health insurance should we want to receive treatment sooner, or undergo a medical procedure that may not be immediately required.
It's not perfect, however, nobody dies in gutters (well, not if we can help it).

In fact, I am quite pleased that my taxes go towards helping those that cannot afford it.
I am also quite pleased that I don't have to worry about paying for expensive treatment should I be in an accident, contract cancer or come down with the kind of ailment Gregory House has to diagnose.
I am also quite pleased that my friends and family can receive expensive life saving treatment when they need it.

It is essentially free, as we accept taxes as a fact of life.

Also, question - People who can afford to pay for health care pay, and they pay such a surplus that the doctors can afford to treat those who have not paid (as per your example, above)?
Righto, i'll not pay. It is actually free, because the chumps with jobs and money are paying!
Which will result in those who do pay having to pay more and more as prices sky rocket due to the growing number of freeloaders.

What you have there is an unsustainable economic model.

Why not take a set percentage of everybodys wage (hell, you could even take a bit more from those that really do rake it in) and allocate that to necessary public services, such as healthcare, schools, transport and, I dunno, sanitation.

Do you think that education should only be made available to those who pay?
What about the police providing crime prevention or the army defending only those who have paid up to date
"I'm afraid that you have opted out of national defence. In the event of a terrorist attack, your residence will not be protected."