How would those who could not afford health insurance manage?

I'd imagine they would be government subsidised the same way people who can't afford most things eg houses are

Isn't the NHS a kind of health insurance anyway - I mean, we do pay for it. I'd also be worried about those who couldn't pay.


I think it would add many more layers of admin - which is not what the NHS needs.

Sort of doesn't work in America though, does it?

Free at the point of delivery healthcare seems one of the crowning achievements of society in Britain to me.

It's rather difficult to distinguish the 'worthy' ill from those who have lifestyle choices that  have contributed.

Its something only the Conservatives could introduce... great if your rich but crap if your poor. I think the system we currently have works, despite the NHS being awful. I broke my leg years ago in America, the service was fantastic. No queues and there was alot of staff about.

If people over here would want that system and they have the money they could simply just go private.

Personally i think anyone earning over 50k should pay for healthcare and that those working here from overseas should have their healthcare paid by their employers. And those without paperwork get no NHS unless its an emergency, Free NHS should be there for all under 18's instead of 16.

We already pay as Rexi said above we should be proud of the national health in this country other countries envy us, it would not work to everyones advantage and be unfair I  would hate to go down the same road as the Americans,we all have a choice now stick with the national health or go private which costs a lot of money.

My Mum and Dad are mid eighties and on a cocktail of drugs apiece. I wonder what manner of premiums they might pay, should this be introduced.

You happy to walk past someone dying in the streets due to lack of paperwork?

I agree with MrMeatAndPotatoPie it is something only the conservatives could introduce fine if you are rich but awful if you are poor ..hope it never happens.

No, emergeany treatment should be there for all.

Yes to both of these. It could improve, but at least we aren't asked on the trolley to resuscitation what our insurance number is.

The delineation of emergency and non-emergency treatment isn't always so cut and dried though is it?

The idea of no free NHS and having to have health insurance to get treatment is horrific. The result would be that:
 if you could afford the health insurance you would be OK
 if you can't afford health insurance, then you will not be treated, and die
 the insurance companies would be making a nice fat profit out of it as they are in business to make a profit, whereas the NHS is'nt, so the average cost per person who be higher re the profit element

There might be some treatment made available for the very poor and emergencies, but the speed, quality and available places would be limited.

And although being self employed I can't be in a union and strike, I would support the 100% total all-out general strike which would result if any government was evil enough to make such a proposal. And I would expect the civil unrest which would also result would dwarf anything seen in this country in many hundreds of years.

There, I think I've made it clear as to where I stand.

No thanks.


British tea parties are much more civilised than that.

Brilliant post El Loro

This is something that is very dear to my heart.  When I lived in the states, I paid $300 a month for health insurance - through my employer.  Someone who was self-employed or couldn't get health insurance through their employer paid 4 times that amount.  Businesses, especially those that emplyed people at the lower end of the pay scale, would limit their employees to less than a 40 hour work week so they would not have to contribute to their insurance costs.

For my $300 a month, I had to pay full cost for a doctor visit.  I had to pay full cost for any medication.  I had to pay full cost for vaccinations, flu shots, etc.  If I were to be hospitalised, or go to the emergency room, my insurance would pay only 80% of the cost.  I was liable for the rest.

The American Health Care System is a shambles and has been for decades.  Although Obama has tried to revise it, he has been blocked constantly by the insurance companies and the medical professionals who don't want to give up their lavish lifestyles.

All working people pay towards the NHS .....................are we really so heartless that we'd see health care denied for those unfortnate enough not to be able to pay?

 

NO No and NO!  That is all.

I won't bother to echo the comments of others who back the NI/NHS but I have an aversion to everything in the country being down to how fat your wallet is.  Some things are just too important in a society that wants to call itself a decent society.  The price of everything and the value of nothing, is a bit of a tired cliché but it's one that fits those who ideologically want the me, me, me society to permeate every aspect of everything in life.

This is how our country is run, we do have a medical card if a person is if low income but other than that you have health insurance or pay the hospital or doctors bill....

and to me!

I moan about the NHS as much as the next person...    but when I take a step back and think about it as a whole...    I am actually very proud of it.

We do our best - sometimes it is a good best.,
Sometimes it is a poor best
But always we try...

Well, every time  have need it, it has delivered

So, thank you

Me too, on the major stuff, and mostly on the minor stuff

Holy crap I didn't think it was a much as $300 a month!

That was 12 years ago, no idea how much it is now, but I doubt that the cost has gone down.  That's on top of federal tax, state tax, Social Security payments, etc.

I work and have done so since I was 18 and paid my National Insurance . So i feel i am entitled to "free" NHS treatment. But after working with the NHS most of my working life, i beleive a review is badly needed. There are some ops and treatment thru the NHS that quite frankly, people should pay for privately. Some people are taking resourses thru the system that they shoudnt really be doing. I work in an NHS hospital, but the surgeons do private work too, within NHS resourses, which is all wrong . In the unit i work, priority will be given to a private patient, although it is a NHS hospital! I have no problem with private patients but they shouldnt use up NHS beds or Theatres. What is going on now within the NHS, if one doesnt know, would  make ones shackles rage.

I've thought that for a while Skylark. Someone's post up there^ mentioned 'having the money and going private' I was tempted to post then about it being NHS surgeons/docs/nurses that provide the treatment