A private healthcare service, good or bad?

Depends how it's done, most countries that it (or close to it), have a fascistic version, like America.

I'd never call America's version fantastic, I think they spend over 3 times per head on healthcare than we do.

Errr... I said fascistic?

Oh, well I misread. Though, I wouldn't call their healthcare system fascistic either.

I do because of the mixture of private-public sector.

However more towards the point of the topic, American healthcare started off pretty much free of government and over time as government got more involved (regulation), the cost went up, 'Obamacare' being the latest regulation to send it sky rocketing.

I do because of the mixture of private-public sector.

However more towards the point of the topic, American healthcare started off pretty much free of government and over time as government got more involved (regulation), the cost went up, 'Obamacare' being the latest regulation to send it sky rocketing.

The problem right now is that the USA is trying to turn a monopoly into a competitive business.

I agree with Trumps idea of increasing competition, hopefully that works for the US, but i have fundamental principal based problems with private healthcare, mainly that those most likely to get injured/sick might not be able to afford it.

This is a key issue, if you get diagnosed with cancer, unless you're wealthy you won't be able to afford health insurance and will have to resort to a breaking bad style career path.

Of course that's extreme, but the facts are that without medicare and medicaid these vulnerable people were locked out of healthcare.

It cost more per-head than the UK before Medicaid.

The problem with comparing the two is supply can be restricted with socialized medicine in order to keep costs down and then you also have the quality of care, where if you go to American doctor you can get a whole range of tests done, whereas a British doctor wants to get you out the door as quick as possible.

Private health insurance is available in the UK though, where if you want the service that you describe then you can pay more for it. Americans don't have that option so they either pay 3 times more for healthcare or you have none.

By supply I mean in regards to the particular services offered by the public health provider, not the market in general.

Also is that "3 times" figure pre-Medicare?

Privatizing health care only benefits the ruling class. It may be great in the short term but like the majority of dominantly Conservative privatizations things get a lot more expensive in the long run.

So lets name some.

*Railways.
*Water Companies.
*Gas Companies.
*Electricity Companies.
*Housing.

The other thing is the cost of private health care paid for by the Government is largely hidden from the general public because it is on the Chancellors books and can be made to look different when each budget is published each year.
This enables Governments who favor privatization (the Tories) to mislead the public and hide the true cost of private health care.

There is a option for private health care in this country. It is called BUPA.

The NHS is currently being under funded on purpose and the majority of non-Tory voters know this.

If your a Tory we aren't going to make your job any easier to try and mislead the public.

However, the only government to actualy cut the health budget in the UK is the Welsh Labour-led government.

The tories haven't once cut the NHS budget in England and were the only party in the GE to actually promise the £12bn that an independant commission stated that the NHS needed.

The fact that costs are rising and that our hospitals are running at capacity is reason enough to reform the NHS, so I'm not completely opposed to what Hunt is doing (although I disagree with him massively on several other issues). I'm not even opposed to a nationalised health service, but if a private health service could be cheaper, guarantee good quality care and still be free at the point of use, then why not go for it? Otherwise, you're just being left wing for the sake of being left wing.

I was asking for the good points of a private health service, and suggestions as to how to reform the health service, just because you're deluded enough to think it's all going fine doesn't mean that I'm trying to mislead anyone.

Private health care isn't cheaper in the long run so its pointless discussing the subject.