British government to introduce privatization in health-care system

HotAir ^ | 2/18/12 | Ed Morrissey

[KansasGirl]

While the US federal government expands its diktat power over American health care, the British are looking for ways to rescue themselves from their own government-run system.  In an attempt to resolve access and provider issues, Prime Minister David Cameron and the Conservatives want to begin outsourcing work to private practitioners outside the NHS, a reversal of over six decades of public policy:

[unixfox]

Even the Brits are starting to get it.

[EGPWS]

While the US federal government expands its diktat power over American health care, the British are looking for ways to rescue themselves from their own government-run system.

That's because Great Britain has run out of other peoples money already.

[Monterrosa-24]

What socialism does to the practice of medicine is what it does to everything else. It destroys its humanity and creates layers of bureaucrats. Somehow before Medicare and Medicaid American medicine worked...It was not perfect but it was much better than it will be five years into ObamaCare.

[FourPeas]

If only we could learn from our brothers across the pond....

[sodpoodle]

IIRC in the UK - for decades the self-employed were allowed to opt-out of the NHS and paid physicians and hospitals from private funds. Health Insurance was not a huge market.

From Wiki: According to the World Health Organization, government funding covered 86% of overall health care expenditures in the UK as of 2004, with private expenditures covering the remaining 14%.

Apparently, the NHS is so thoroughly entrenched - physicians are critical of the private plans as being ‘too restrictive’.

[heye2monn]

I agree, privatizing English medicine is a good thing. In theory. But in political reality, you can never pull away from the sticky tar baby. Once socialized medicine is entrenched, the public expects free care, and will vote out any one who tried to cut services or privatize.

In socialized medicine, every disease is up for a vote. Everyone is entitled to treatment for every disease. It is an endless expansion of government. It can bring down an entire country.

[Riflema]

Sorry, speaking as one of your brothers from across the pond who had the sense to flee here 20 years ago, I'm afraid it looks like they are simply too far gone to accept any reforms: Link to Telegraph article relating to this

The Telegraph, it should be noted, is the most right-leaning paper over there. See the comments, they are all absolutely in denial about the merits of their precious NHS. Plenty of them there would rather scrap whats left of the Royal Navy etc,. and throw the money down this rat hole.

Sad.

[GeronL]

I expect riots.

Not because anyone will be denied free healthcare but because some might get it faster and better if they pay.

Its all about control.

[Jack Hammer]

If Obama weren’t such a self-absorbed invert, he’d open his eyes and look abroad.

London isn’t really all that far from Washington.

[LMAO]

No different than the people and the elected classes denial regarding SS and MediCare

[FourPeas]

I’m sorry to hear that. I participate on another board with a lot of British posters. They’re always quick to trash the NHS, but even quicker to say how awful the US system is. I’d hoped they weren’t representative of the population overall.

[RedMDer]

Tired of the disruptions? We need that new equipment!

[ak267]

all it take is from a few “rebel” docs to make money and improve service for tidal wave to occur. The docs are probably touting the “party line”.