subject: Reasonably Priced Health Care [print this page] We all require medical help at some point in time in our lives and we additionally want the security of knowing that our children will be cared for, should they fall unwell or experience an accident. In developing countries, a lot of people wrestle to buy the drug treatments and medicines they need and have to rely on charity. There is a campaign in the West to influence pharmaceutical firms to make their products accessible at prices people can pay in poverty stricken communities. Sometimes, these firms will only put the high cost branded medicines on the market. They have also been known to flood the market with past their sell date products. Reasonably priced health care is out of reach for a lot of people.
It can also be difficult for industrial countries, particularly when someone has a long-term sickness. As a rule people need to have some type of private health insurance to meet their requirements. The problem is that a lot of families prioritize their funds to be spent on rent and foodstuff, leaving a small amount left for anything else. Affordable health care regularly comes at the sacrifice of something else.
In general, the population is living longer. This is putting enormous strain on each country's health system. There are more people living into their eighties and nineties and they have several medical problems. At the same time, middle-aged people are falling victim to heart disease and strokes. The argument rages as to whether the state ought to provide health care or if it should be left to the responsibility of the individual. It might work better as a blending of the two.
The UK is lucky in having a welfare state. Medical care is free at source. There are exceptions to this, involving dental and ophthalmic charges. There is also a normal charge for prescriptions. This welfare system has to be paid for through direct and indirect tax. Americans don't enjoy a welfare state but they pay less tax on gasoline etc. Reasonable health care is swings and roundabouts.
Private health care is available in the UK as well, for those who wish to pay for it. This means you get treatment a lot quicker and can be admitted to a private hospital on a selected date for operations. The divide between private and state provision causes a lot of argument, with some people believing that no one should be able to jump the queue because they can pay to do so. Private patients also take medical professionals away from National Health Service patients. Everyone is decided that reasonably priced health care for all is a desirable objective but no one seems certain on how to go about it.
