panik: (ITC - Don't Google!)
panik ([personal profile] panik) wrote2009-08-13 11:36 am
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
NHS would pay if you went to a private or research hospital for a maybe unique or newer treatments?
Advanced treatment centers like (I don't know what you have there that equates) St Jude Children's ,MD Anderson or The Mayo Clinic here?

Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
The advanced research centres are all NHS as far as I know. There are very few private hospitals indeed and none of them dealing with anything other than elective, mostly plastic, surgery. The NHS = 95%+ of health care and most private patients get a private room in an NHS hospital using NHS staff.

NHS pay you? for - what? No, never, never heard of such a thing, why? Really, I never heard of that at all! Why would they do that, I am confused!
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry, I meant pay the bill or a portion of it.

Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
You mean pay part of the NHS bill?

If so, no, it doesn't work that way, there's no way to pay the NHS even if you wanted to. Everyone who pays tax pays (ie, the Govt take a proportion of everybody's income tax for the NHS) and everyone (whether they pay tax or not) gets the service, no exemptions, no exceptions.

The only thing you might pay for are prescriptions, if you're working (not in any form of education, not unemployed, not retired, not on permanent disability allowance or any other kind of government benefit etc) you pay £7 per item. If you can buy it cheaper than that over the counter, the doctor will tell you and not add it to the prescription.

Other than that - it's all free.
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
So if you were to go get specialized or radical treatment at a research center like MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center you would have pay out of pocket yourself?

Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
No, because all British centres of that type are part of the NHS.
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Thank you

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
for taking the time to give all this great info. I think I may have a handle albeit a small one on this now.
It would probably be as costly either way.$580 Billion doesn't even seem like real money does it?

Re: Thank you

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
You're welcome. I hope it helped... whatever it is you wanted to work out. I refuse to think about large fortunes on the principle I shall never own one.
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Re: Thank you

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Just a little ammunition in case I need to say something to someone about NHS. I'd like to have a least an idea of what I'm talking about.*g*
amen sister!

Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I just realised you meant the NHS pay part of a private-care bill? *g*

No. You elect to go private, you pay the bill.
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

[identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com 2009-08-13 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes that was what I was asking. Sometimes I confuse myself.