Universal Free Health Care (.......nanny and laundry)

[fiona wallace]

Hey - did you waste..er spend...your teenage years reading Heinlein, too? 

TANSTAAFL is right, but we think it's fairer to spread the load rather than have people live in fear of the financial burden of illness. The other financial stuff (Job loss, disability) is bad enough without a hospital bill the equivalent of three or five year's wages. 

I think linking our GDP and unemployment solely to our nationalised health system is a bit ingenuous, too. It's a hell of a lot more complicated than that. Especially as among countries with a nationalised system ours is one of the most comprehensive and also one of the cheapest.

Over here it tends to be those who could afford insurance who make the most noise about the problems with our system. 

It's a bit like when you vote, you see. You always ask yourself 'how will the policies of each party help the very poorest, the ones who don't show on anyone's radar?' You vote according to what will be best for those who have the weakest voice, the ones it's easiest to ignore. 

And you arrange your health system the same way.

Dr Fiona Wallace.
UK

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]On Behalf Of William Bromberg
Sent: 03 July 2007 14:04
To: trauma-list at trauma.org
Subject: Re: Universal Free Health Care (.......nanny and laundry)


No  health system is free of problems, but at least no one is bankrupted
in 
the UK  through paying for medical treatment.

This is not true. The drag  of the 50-60% tax necessary to pay for the
"FREE" health care causes poor economic growth leading to worse overall
conditions. For example the per capita GDP in the UK is $12,000 less
than the US (2006 number —$31,800 v. $44,000) and the unemployment
rate is higher (5.5% v. 4.8%).

The costs of a "free" system are hidden. I understand the human desire
to get something for nothing but continue to marvel at the ability to
believe it can happen. There is no free. TANSTAAFL.

Bill 
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