To be terrified by Farage/Reform's plans to replace the NHS with "an insurance based model"?

[Gillemeow]

It seems to have been largely overlooked by the mainstream media but Nigel Farage on the debate last night was clear that he thought the NHS should be replaced by an insurance model.

Given that most of the country are already crippled by the current cost of living crisis, how does he expect people to pay this extra cost? If employers have spare cash to do it (as in France or the USA where many get insurance via their employer), why aren't they giving decent wage rises?

His plans would penalise people with existing health conditions. And which sex would end up paying more.for insurance? The one that gives birth and goes through menopause or the one that doesn't?

In France contraception is only free if you're under 26. What if you're not? Will the right wing's phrase of choice on children change from "don't have children of you can't afford them" to "don't have sex if you can't afford it"?

"In France contraception is only free if you're under 26"

In France, contraception is free at all ages if you are on a low income. As is all healthcare.

It won’t be refused. Do people die on the streets of treatable conditions in other EU countries?

Shhhh stop talking sense

Shocked at the amount of people who seem to be happy with the proposal of an insurance based system.

Are the insurance companies going to be working for free? What about the extra staff hospitals will need to tot up the bills? Epidural cost, gas and air, emergency C-section, 4 slices of post labour toast, it all adds up.

And that money on all the extra admin is going to come out of our pockets and not be spent on any kind of medical benefit for anyone.

Will there be a sign on the hospital door "only xxx insurance accepted here"?

And then there's the, yes you do need xyz treatment but sorry your policy doesn't cover you for it, you'll have to manage without unless you can pay £££.

Yes the NHS is struggling, yes it needs more money but an insurance based system will be biased in favour of the rich and cost ALL of us more. For example, who's going to pay the benefits for those unable to work because they can't get the medical treatment they need or have to wait years for treatment?

only 3.2 million people watched it

It clashed with the England match so I'm surprised there were that many actually.

Do you believe there are any countries in the world with better public health than the U.K.?

There is huge waste and costs in the NHS. I remember a news article a few years ago where an electrician went from somewhere like Wigan to Dagenham (or something equally as daft) to change a lightbulb in a hospital as it was subcontracted a few times.

I remember when I was young in the 1980s my nan was in and out of hospital a lot. She was treated on the NHS but used to pay for a private room. I believe you’re no longer allowed to do this, surely an easy money making stream? My worst nightmare would be being on a ward full of strangers.

It will be brilliant. Privatising water, utilities and rail has led to a massively improved service for all. 😂

Yes but people thought that about UKIP. And look what happened- brexit.

Agree op it is a scary idea.

And pp post about free contraception only to under 26’s is shocking.

I never said I was particularly happy about it but I think some kind of reform is inevitable. It might be some insurance based model or it might be gradual means testing. Just saying that we should tax the rich more isn't feasible.

Pointless worrying. He will never be PM in any capacity.

Not saying there isn’t but you can do something about the NHS. Not so be private companies.

The French system has massive problems, if sounds horrific. https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/what-are-challenges-ahead-french-healthcare-system#:~:text=Access%20to%20care%2C%20over%2Dreliance,of%20healthcare%20in%20the%20country.&text=Access%20to%20healthcare%20is%20a%20central%20concern%20for%20people%20across%20the%20country.

The NHS clearly can't provide for everyone in its current state . I didn't hear anything about private insurance I did hear him say those that can afford it pay a bit more those that cant don't but not sure if that was via tax code or something else .

Do you think it’s ‘terrifying’ to be French, Spanish or German?

They pay more.

I live in the Netherlands and they have an insurance based system. It isn’t the golden bullet people are making it out to be. When DD was hit by a car my insurance company harassed me for the insurance details of the driver who hit her. They were trying to recoup the costs of the medical care and ambulance (in some circumstances you have to pay for an ambulance). DD still has to wait two weeks for an appointment but at least they call you back when trying to make an appointment.

What, a coalition to become the largest opposition party? Aye, I suppose that could happen.

The NHS is not free. We pay a lot of money for it through taxation. It is expensive and wasteful.

We are encouraged to worship the NHS like a God. To say anything bad about it is blasphemy. We have been brainwashed by left-wing propaganda to believe we would all be dead from untreated illnesses if we didn't have the NHS. As a consequence, proper reform of this failing health care model is all but impossible, because it is political death for any government that attempts it.

We are constantly being told the NHS is the envy of the world. It isn't. If it was other countries would use the NHS model. As it stands, no other country has an NHS. Most use an insurance based model. Many of those countries have better health care outcomes than the UK.

Don't be tempted to believe it would be better run by Labour. The Labour party runs Welsh NHS is utterly shit. They squander millions of pounds on vanity projects instead of providing proper health care.

If the NHS was replaced by an insurance model, you wouldn't have to pay for the NHS anymore. You would pay for insurance instead.

Nigel Farage and his party will not be forming the next government, so any meaningful reform of the NHS is not going to happen.

They won’t gain power, so no need to worry.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64216269.amp

This will just make money for their cronies.

Priced out then.

I know people who have had to delay doctor appointments as they can't afford it in Europe, yes.

Of course it’s fair. Everyone contributes, everyone can use it. In fact we’d be better off if everyone had to use it. Private healthcare drains expertise and time from the NHS.

Yes the waste will go into the hands of Tory/ Reform cronies given contracts to private health care we’ll end up paying a needless fortune for.

PPE anyone?

And yet their healthcare systems are almost uniformly better than ours…!

Yes but 2 points behind the Tories is a very long way behind Labour.

The tories won’t be the government in 1 month so it’s a moot concern.