Re: And we wonder why......
Originally Posted by
The Artful Todger
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Changing the NHS from a free for the asking to something like the Swiss model increasingly makes sense.
I don't see why it makes sense. Those who use the NHS resources most are the old, those who have cancer and the very young. The majority of those who use it most cannot pay as they no longer work due to chronic conditions or age. Giving birth costs a lot and you cannot have women having babies in the street and dying. I see in the Swiss model it's free. Switzerland has a tiny and wealthy population.
Insurance models tend to end up costing more in every country. There is a great deal of play and corruption in insurance claims management. With pharma and clinical procedures going through the roof as insurers have to pay out.
We already have a compulsory national insurance scheme and people pay into it based on their income. That's similar to the Swiss model. I am not sure why anyone here thinks the NHS is free - we pay for it!
Our system is not linked to the level of personal contributions but I cannot see how the basic Swiss model can be either. We don't have to pay extra subsidies and I think that is a bit of a bureaucratic nonsense. Do you realise how difficult it would be to manage in the UK with such a large and diverse population?