Quote:
Originally Posted by BillSmithBooks
People here in the states seem to forget that health insurance companies exist to make money. They make money by charging high premiums and then doing everything they can to deny coverage when you actually get sick and want to use the "insurance" you've been paying for all along.
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That's part of the key arguement that UK politicians opposed to the NHS, or far more common who want to make significant changes make.
That the private sector is enormously more efficient than the public sector. Over here we try to learn from the best of US hospitals and health care to try to apply it to the NHS.
To my great dismay there is a stigma attached to saying anything negative about the NHS.
It's perfectly ok to criticise hospital managers, administrators, cleaners etc. It seems that they're all nasty people wasting our money and stopping it going to the nurses and doctors - all of whom are saints.
However should anyone criticise doctors or nurses, or say the NHS isn't all that great then all sides of the major political spectrum assault them.
The end result is we have the NHS we have, for better or for worse, and like other touchy issues there seems to be no chance of a worthwhile debate taking place.
From my own personal viewpoint I believe the NHS, by and large, to be an enourmously brave undertaking, but one that has been a massive success. There are changes that can be made, but by and large the system works.
I caught part of a debate on Radio 4 the other night. I'm not sure of all who were involed. I know that Tony Benn and Lord Heseltine were on it, and I was very interested to hear what politicians who aren't trying to spin for votes were saying. I keep meaning to listen to the whole thing on iplayer. Here's a
link for anyone that can use iPlayer.