Why you need to pay more tax

[PAH]

Seems that only one poster has decided to fight the PC corner and one I would normally expect not to. The facts are as given by some of the previous posters re: burden on the NHS vs NI contributions. If we don't put a stop now, we'll soon find ourselves facing the same costs as in the USA, where if you haven't got company/private insurance, there is no treatment. Conservative or Labour Gov't - makes no difference - will adopt this, in the same way as Labour adopted tuition fees when an ever increasing number of students decided - or rather enticed - to go to University. The system has reached breaking point and it's all down to lack of funds. Like someone said, what is the NI contribution of someone on £ 5 ph = £ 200 pw = £ 10k pa against the huge costs of an operation/childbirth. You can't put pennies or pounds and expect hundreds or thousands, unless you win the lottery. And it seems that for a lot of our foreign UK residents, this is what is. No gain or benefit in being British-born these days.

I dare say quite a lot of contractors on here fall into that category, drawing minimal salaries and paying minimal NI!

But then again, I suppose most would be able to go private if necessary. In that respect we should have a choice: Go private and have no NI to pay, or stay under the NHS and either pay your fare share, or expect a large medical bill (USA style) if your NI contributions don't shape up over the years.

[PAH]

In the not too distant future there will be more people draing on the sytem than contributing. How doyou propose to pay the costs if there are not enough working?

Sounds like a pyramid scheme. Bound to fail sooner or later.

The NHS was a good idea, but for one reason and another it's getting more and more unworkable and should be cut back for emergencies and the poor. Then our NI contributions can go to quality private healthcare as and when we need it, in the form of insurance, which is what NI really is in reality, hence the name!

[PAH]

By pretty much what they are proposing to do - withdrawing medical treatment from the elderly... say after 70 you are on your own unless you want to pay for it privately

Link

I find it frightening to think what the future may be like when I'm getting to that age if my health isn't good. I sincerely hope euthanasia is an option by then if I'm bed ridden and my quality of life is poor. Why carry on, especially if you're a burden on your family (whether they admit it or not)?

I know people who (whether actually joking or not) say they are having kids so they've someone to look after them when they're older. Just typifies the selfishness of people these days, and what is eroding so many values that we used to be proud of that made Britain Great. [all stand for the national anthem, USA style]

If there was a god, surely by now he'd be saying "damn I've really made a mess of this little planet called Earth, where's the reset button".

[The Lone Gunman]

Yeah that would be the Mirrors emotive headline

Stop living up to your handle.
How about going further. Why not scrap NI and the entire system built on it. NHS, education and all social services.

What we have is a good system. The problem is it was designed in a different world. The entire thing needs rethinking but excluding those in need sould not be an option.

[Pondlife]

I sleep quite well at night knowing that health care is free for all in the UK, as opposed to having a 'run for profit' insurance company deciding whether to honour my claim.

Do we really want an insurance company that is trying to reclaim sub prime losses deciding which medicines and treatments are acceptable based on cost? Or deciding that your heart bypass costs will have to be paid for by yourself because you ticked yes in the 'have you ever eaten in burger king?' box.

The NHS does have its issues but it is IMO part of what makes this country great! And what's more, founded by a Welshman.

[dude69]

Well a foreign student studying in Britain should be entitled surely.

An asylum seeker that has failed will no doubt be deported.

What country have you been living in?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...nasylum120.xml

[PAH]

Do we really want an insurance company that is trying to reclaim sub prime losses deciding which medicines and treatments are acceptable based on cost?

I seem to recall plenty of recent cases where that's happening within the NHS, usually highlighted by the differences in treatment available between England and Scotland.

Oh, I see, you're being sarcastic. One day you won't be able to get that free on the NHS either.