AIBU - Should people 60+ be means tested & pay for prescriptions

[monopoly5]

Considering the NHS is so stretched as are lots of other public services should free prescriptions for the over 60s be means tested?

I agree that the NHS is mismanaged but there is still no money. The tax paying population is shrinking & wealth is increasingly held by the older generations.

Yes there is the argument that people have paid their taxes so are entitled but I don’t believe a 20 year old of today will have any state pension/NHS available to them.

In an ideal world the 1% would be taxed more but can’t see that happening. Don’t we all need to chip in?

OK - nailing my colours to the mast - I am 62 and have free prescriptions.

I actually think this is an anomaly and should at the very least be brought in line with the age you can claim your state pension - which for me is 66. And I say this as someone who only works part time now due to redundancy three years ago - I have claimed my work pension early - so not a big income.

I don't know about means testing - I would have no objection but I suspect it would cost more to means test than it is worth.

I do think children should have free prescriptions though and would hate for that to stop.

Concerning the NHS - I honestly think that if we want it to survive (which I certainly do) we have to pay - and the fairest way I can think of is via income tax.

notanurse2017 Why are all old people vulnerable? Are there no wealthy older people who can afford it? I did say means tested specifically because I wouldn’t want the poor to be targeted.

I'm in Wales, all free but it pisses me off that people able to pay get paracetamol, ibuprofen, lactulose for constipation. I've seen cough medicine and nit lotion on prescription.

The elderly who can't afford prescriptions may end up in hospital anyway. Costing the nhs anyway. No the nhs won't survive much longer. Babies are being born earlier and surviving. The elderly are living longer. Our population is huge. I could go on. You can't just blame or penalise one group of people.

God I wish we had a Singaporean health care system.

@viques why do you think it’s only young people who attend A&E with alcohol related injuries and problems? Hint: it isn’t. That said, I disagree with the OP.

The thing with paracetamol is that if you have to take it constantly then you aren't allowed to buy more than 2 packets. If you aren't particularly mobile this can cause problems. My father (89) has it on prescription. He would be quite happy to pay if he could buy it in boxes of 100 or so.

FreudianSlurp Not the biggest but one of many. I believe in the NHS & would like it to be there for my kids.

Sorry - 2 packets at a time.

It’s bizarre and offensive to healthy, employed people in their early 60s to label them as “vulnerable”. I understand it’s just an arbitrary cut off point in terms of age but perhaps it should be in line with the state pension.

kaitlin pharmacies can sell more than 2 packets. It is discretionary though. My local CCG have stopped all OTC medications and I am glad because it was being abused. That said, I do worry about some vulnerable individuals and hope there are exceptions. Someone who genuinely cannot leaves their home and has no absolutely support should be able to have their necessary medications.

I think the methadone scrip should be paid for and limited for a certain length. They chose to use drugs. And also antibiolics. No one's choses to be chronicly ill. They should be excempt.

I think governments over the next few years will have no choice but to raise income taxes.

well i am scottish and it grates me that nicola sturgeon gives free medicine to all .if you can pay then you should .my hubby is ill and on a private pension of £18000 no benefits before anyone asks .but an yearly prescription charge used to be £150 .we would pay because its madness to give to those who can afford it .

I don't agree it should be means tested but I am not sure why it is staying at 60 when retirement age is going up, it should be in line with that.

FreudianSlurp of course but I don’t believe the NHS will be free for all then.

Good point bringing it into line with retirement age.

Yabvu

Only 1 in 4 prescriptions is paid for - 75% of them go to stating the bleeding obvious those in exempt categories : minors, students, retirees, diabetics, welfare claimants and so forth.

It would save the admin costs to make prescriptions 100% free.

Monopoly I wish someone would have the guys to have that as a policy pre-election

I have just reached the age of entitlement to free prescriptions (but have none...I'm pretty healthy) and have an income of around £3,000 a year. So stuff your "baby boomers are all rich and entitled" attitude OP and go pick on someone else!

I would support only things that can't be got over the counter being on prescription though...paracetamol and calpol - no.