I have been reading with dismay about the problems the NHS is experiencing. This leads me to compare the UK system with Australia’s.
Back in the1970s Australia introduced a universal health system, Medibank (now Medicare). Before too long government realised that it could not cover what heath consumers wanted, like choice of doctors, non-critical specialist treatment and elective surgery. So our system evolved to become a universal safety net health system, with people paying for treatment over and above. Most Australians took out private health insurance, and even now over 50% of the population has this insurance. And it is, to a minor extent, government subsidised.
By comparison 11% of UK citizens have private health insurance. It seems to me that the UK government, where some Tory MPs are advocating abolition of the NHS, should subsidise private health insurance. And this is not a party political post, as I’m certain that when Labour is in power, fully funding NHS will be unaffordable.
For the record my wife and I are covered by BUPA and pay $70 a week. I have looked very closely at whether this is worthwhile for us, and while we draw back only a proportion of this cost, it is after all insurance, and the benefits outweigh the cost.
Comments?
Back in the1970s Australia introduced a universal health system, Medibank (now Medicare). Before too long government realised that it could not cover what heath consumers wanted, like choice of doctors, non-critical specialist treatment and elective surgery. So our system evolved to become a universal safety net health system, with people paying for treatment over and above. Most Australians took out private health insurance, and even now over 50% of the population has this insurance. And it is, to a minor extent, government subsidised.
By comparison 11% of UK citizens have private health insurance. It seems to me that the UK government, where some Tory MPs are advocating abolition of the NHS, should subsidise private health insurance. And this is not a party political post, as I’m certain that when Labour is in power, fully funding NHS will be unaffordable.
For the record my wife and I are covered by BUPA and pay $70 a week. I have looked very closely at whether this is worthwhile for us, and while we draw back only a proportion of this cost, it is after all insurance, and the benefits outweigh the cost.
Comments?
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