Reply to: Why you need to pay more tax

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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".

[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]

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.

[Troll]

Well we don't have to stop there. Very premature babies cost a fortune and their survival rate is minimal. Should we bother ? (I do get your point - I'm just widening things)

I personally would say no.... but then I am against IVF treatment too

Sometimes nature just has to take its course

[Troll]

My wifes grandfather was 103 when he died. Fought in two world wars and never had a day off sick in his life. Retired at 70 then got a part time job just to keep busy.
There was no welfare state when he was young. Why shouldhe not be entitled to treatment?

If we are going to have a welfare state then it should be for all, but only those who are paid up members.

Yeah that would be the Mirrors emotive headline

[The Lone Gunman]

Really the argument is about the elderly... we have the medical ability now to prolong life - the question is do we want to & can we afford to.

I'm all for treatment upto the alloted three score & ten but after that the decline is noticable & I would advocate withdraw of treatment -except for pain relief.

I suppose a likely scenario would be what to do with Doris, who lives in a council house, no savings or family support & at 71 falls down the stairs and breaks her hip- do you put her on the hip replacement programme?

My wifes grandfather was 103 when he died. Fought in two world wars and never had a day off sick in his life. Retired at 70 then got a part time job just to keep busy.
There was no welfare state when he was young. Why shouldhe not be entitled to treatment?

If we are going to have a welfare state then it should be for all, but only those who are paid up members.

[M_B]

Really the argument is about the elderly... we have the medical ability now to prolong life - the question is do we want to & can we afford to.

I'm all for treatment upto the alloted three score & ten but after that the decline is noticable & I would advocate withdraw of treatment -except for pain relief.

I suppose a likely scenario would be what to do with Doris, who lives in a council house, no savings or family support & at 71 falls down the stairs and breaks her hip- do you put her on the hip replacement programme?

Well we don't have to stop there. Very premature babies cost a fortune and their survival rate is minimal. Should we bother ? (I do get your point - I'm just widening things)

[Troll]

Oh dear. Now you have doen it.
Why should those who have paid in all ther lives be barred from getting the treatment they have paid for?

Really the argument is about the elderly... we have the medical ability now to prolong life - the question is do we want to & can we afford to.

I'm all for treatment upto the alloted three score & ten but after that the decline is noticable & I would advocate withdraw of treatment -except for pain relief.

I suppose a likely scenario would be what to do with Doris, who lives in a council house, no savings or family support & at 71 falls down the stairs and breaks her hip- do you put her on the hip replacement programme?

[Troll]

These are the facts from the home office web site.

"If you are a visitor to the United Kingdom or have temporary permission to live here (we call this limited leave to remain), you may be able to register with a GP in your area and receive free treatment. The GP can decide whether or not to register you. You may not be able to receive the full range of hospital treatment, because you must be a permanent resident or have lived here for a year to qualify for it. This applies even if you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.

You can find out more about this in the Department of Health leaflet 'Did you know that you may have to pay for hospital treatment whilst here?'. Some health services are free of charge to everyone. These are:

treatment given in an accident and emergency (A&E) department or in an NHS walk-in centre that provides services similar to those of an A&E department;
treatment for certain infectious diseases (but for HIV/AIDS only the first diagnosis and counselling that follows it are free);
compulsory psychiatric treatment; and
family planning services. "

& enforced?

[The Lone Gunman]

AIUI we do not have reciprocal agreements with other countries in the EU: we have a single agreement called "membership in the EU".

Scrrap that if you want (OK by me) but don't imagine that it's some kind of menu from which you can pick the bits you like (unless you're French).

I am all for pulling out of the EU. It seems the only people actualy trying to make it work (rather than seeing what they can get out of it) is the GB. We end up paying in a fortune withno real benefits.

[M_B]

These are the facts from the home office web site.

"If you are a visitor to the United Kingdom or have temporary permission to live here (we call this limited leave to remain), you may be able to register with a GP in your area and receive free treatment. The GP can decide whether or not to register you. You may not be able to receive the full range of hospital treatment, because you must be a permanent resident or have lived here for a year to qualify for it. This applies even if you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.

You can find out more about this in the Department of Health leaflet 'Did you know that you may have to pay for hospital treatment whilst here?'. Some health services are free of charge to everyone. These are:

treatment given in an accident and emergency (A&E) department or in an NHS walk-in centre that provides services similar to those of an A&E department;
treatment for certain infectious diseases (but for HIV/AIDS only the first diagnosis and counselling that follows it are free);
compulsory psychiatric treatment; and
family planning services. "

So I can see where the issue is - In theory a pregnant mother anywhere in the world can opt to come here on an extended holiday in order to receive free treatment.