geoff wrote:
In message 486694eb@qaanaaq, Andy Hall writes
On 2008-06-28 19:24:35 +0100, geoff said:

In message 48667d0a@qaanaaq, Andy Hall writes
On 2008-06-28 17:52:05 +0100, geoff said:

does your private health insurance pay for immediate treatment for
e.g. a broken bone or cut requiring stitches - A&E type injuries
No, because it isn't designed to do so. It's worth pointing out
that in addition to the tax distortion of the market, the other
components of immediate treatment such as the 112 call centres and
ambulance services do not operate on a competitive basis for A&E
purposes but feed NHS facilities.
So your shiny ins policy doesn't give you a point of sale facility

It provides exactly what it is designed to do which is cover for
diagnosis and acute care. I know exactly what I can get, when and
where. I can't get that from the NHS.

So it provides a cherry picked subset of a health service

it doesn't provide the open ended comprehensive care that the NHS is
attempting to do

like the courier companies who have taken on the profitable parts of the
royal mail and left the unprofitable bits so that we end up with a
strapped for cash service which can't operate effectively



The bit I really don't like is the obvious (and I suggest, unavoidable)
end point. Allow private emergency services. And have the paramedics
look for the insurance before saving their lives or taking them to hosptial.

I suppose it could end up working both ways. NHS paramedics happen to
find insurance and dump the patient?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org