This proposal makes sense, so long as one subscribes to the "Hairdressing"
paradigm of illness and health care.
The assumption must be that like having one's hair done, we are dealing with
somewhat discretionary services and which require a particular service to be
done. The consumer decides if and when to have the service.
Obviously an attractive paradigm if you are a young Republican. However
not consistent with the experience of real life.
Bob Frankford
(Though I suppose the individual fundholders could get together in a large
group and then actually employ doctors etc. Would this be creeping
socialism or the creation of new insurance plans by an unbelievably
roundabout means?)
>In message <[log in to unmask]> Dr David J Plews
writes:
>>At 17:13 05/09/1996 +0100, somebody wrote:
>>
>>>Anyway, my idea is to make every citizen a fundholder.
>>>Allocate so much a year to each person
>>Sorry John Spiers, formerly Chairman of Brighton NHS Trust and now Chairman
>>of the Patient's Association thought of this first. He calls it Patient
>>Fundholding.
>>I think it's a great idea. 600-700UKp per patient. They would have to stop
>>coming to see us to save up for their CABG, etc:-)
>>
>
>No he didn't. The idea of 'medical savings accounts' or MSAs has been
>pitched in the USA for years now, though there the preferred
>government hand-out is tax relief rather than direct cash credit or
>voucher. Rather like a private pension fund. MSAs were included in
>the recent health insurance reform bill and are supported by young,
>professional and healthy Republican voters who can't believe they'll
>ever be old and sick. Of course, if they ever do, they'll join
>Medicare, assuming it's still going.
>
>--
>Pete Mitchell, Editor, e-Med News
>
>* Please send all anti-journalist jokes to: [log in to unmask]
>
>
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