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?

I'll pay if all the smokers and obese people give up fags and lose weight.

How old are you crunchy? I’m mid 30s & don’t expect to see any state pension even though I’ve been a higher rate tax payer for a large proportion of my working life.

Smokers already pay more via tax.

Giving back a freebie you don't need isn't quite the same as being told that some of your assets will be taken. But yes, it would need quite a push to make it the 'done thing'

And there should be an expectation that people who can afford to pay for their care do so, by charge in illiquid assets if necessary.

Of course, that would mean that there would be no inheritance for the children of affluent baby-boomers, something which the strapped-for-cash middle classes may have been expecting from their parents.

Scabbersley you do realise not 'all obese people' are obese as a result of gorging themselves on Big Macs at every opportunity, despite what you may think?
Some of us have genuine illnesses and diseases - that we are medicated for, and many of us pay prescription charges! - that result in weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight. It's hard to do exercise when you're bed ridden on morphine 4 days out of 7.

It used to be the case that just over 90% of all presciptions were free - most were for young people and old people as well as those with chronic illnesses. Why not young people pay?

As an aside, am I right in thinking the 'local authority' step in to pay for social care when people's savings reach around £23k? Who decided this was the cut off? Why is this figure so high? Imagine the million of elderly with £23k or less sat in the bank, whilst taxpayers pay for their care, heat, lighting, cleaning, food etc in carehomes. Lowering the threshold to a token £5k or so for example (although unpopular with families with one eye on inheritance), would surely free up millions of pounds to redirect to underfunded health services.

I don't have to pay because I have an under-active thyroid. That should change. I get WTC so I don't have to pay anyway but when we lose that my husband who is on a tonne of meds would have to pay for his, but I wouldn't due to one condition. I don't see why they can't change it to prescriptions being free if they directly relate to that condition. Getting free antibiotics because I have an under-active thyroid is nonsensical.

I see no reason why the free prescriptions can't be brought into line with the retirement age, but after that no means testing.

I'll pay if all the smokers and obese people give up fags and lose weight.
I am currently obese. I have been on prednisalone since the beginning of November. I've managed to only put on just over half a stone which is pretty good. Still, I'll lose weight on prednisalone if you try to learn something about the difficulties others may have when taking absolutely necessary medication.

All prescription charges should be means-tested, regardless of the age of the recipient. This idea of paying for something being some kind of “punishment”/ “why should I pay?” outlook is a peculiarly British attitude and one which I believe contributes to the current mess that the NHS is in.

And in response to the “If people have to pay for their prescriptions, they won’t pay, then they’ll get more sick and cost the NHS more” argument - people need to take some personal responsibility for themselves. If they choose not to treat themselves, they are the ones facing the consequences. I believe all NHS treatment should be means-tested.

I agree Smiling that if you have a chronic condition and get free prescriptions, that should apply only to drugs that treat that condition.

If it were easy to do (and I think its the admin cost involved) then I think prescriptions, dental and optician appointments for children should be means tested

I'm a diabetic and I work I could legally get free prescriptions.
But I choose to pay for my prescriptions.
Because the NHS is cracking under pressure and freeloaders.
I believe IF you can afford to pay then you should but not everyone can.
Ironically it's the nurses and healthcare staff who are such a low wage that often can't afford it.

"I agree Smiling that if you have a chronic condition and get free prescriptions, that should apply only to drugs that treat that condition"

As long as that includes all drugs which ameliorate the side effects of the main ones, and all antibiotics (anti fungals etc) for those whose immune system is compromised by the condition or the drugs required to treat that condition. By the time you've sorted all that out, the extra admin in working out entitlement has probably just cost you more in staff costs and opportunity costs than the current system.

One way in which massive savings can be made is through people only ordering the drugs they need on their repeat prescription. Lots of people on repeats just tick all without actually thinking about whether or not they need the medication. Large amounts of medication are wasted through inappropriate prescribing. People on lots of medication should have medicines use reviews with Pharmacists.

Money could also be saved if GP's stopped prescribing off the grey list. Another way of saving money is prescribing cheaper generic drugs over branded.

Mean-tested is the most unfair system of all

It is, it just rewards people who don't work or do little and those that already pay tax and Ni contributions have to pay even more.

In Scotland they worked out that the cost of administrating a means tested benefit system for prescriptions was more expensive than to just give everybody free prescriptions. That's because most prescriptions go to children, the elderly and those on low incomes, those who would receive them for free anyway.

What nether said

Which might be a bit difficult to do

Really depends at where they put the threshold and whether it was on individual income or household as i could see some parents or spouses refusing to pay

Given that the median incomes of the recently retired are now very similar to the median incomes of the working age population I would suggest that a number of these benefits need to be looked at again.

Let’s means test pregnant women’s free prescriptions as well,so we are being fair.

Like Aprilanne I'd quite happily for my prescriptions as I can afford it. I'm grateful we get our meds for free particularly when I was a lower earner. At one point before this was brought in in Scotland, I was so skint I had to forgo asthma inhalers because I couldn't afford them.

On a semi related note inhalers are one of those items that should be free for all - they're literally a life saver.

No. Older people often need more support from the NHS (medications, operations etc) and it would be wrong to penalise that generation when they have paid their bit through taxes when working and presumably taxed now if their pension is sufficient.

I agree that older people should not be penalised and I disagree with OP but honestly, I think 60 is too young. Raise it to 65. Also, please stop making out that all “older people” are ill and vulnerable. Yes, many are and society must support them but it’s highly offensive to those who don’t see themselves that way. Again, as I said up thread, I know it’s just an age cut off.

I have a friend who is a very high earner who gets all of her prescriptions free because she has a long term medical condition. I completely agree that she should get her medication for her condition (under active thyroid) free but all other prescriptions too for unrelated conditions doesn’t feel right. I earn about a third of what she earns and pay for mine.

I don’t think older people should pay but the threshold is too low nowadays. I think 70 would be a fairer age for them to be free for all.