I
spent the summer in the United States working on a kids camp and
I drew several comparisons between the American
and British healthcare systems.
During camp orientation, all staff members were given
detailed instructions on how to avoid being billed a zillion dollars
should we need lifesaving surgery or maybe just for a
Band-Aid.
We were
told to carry our health insurance card at all times to ensure we
received the correct service. Picture the scene: mass car accident; me
lying on the road shredded to bits; paramedic arrives and is his main
priority blood loss or neck support? No, the vital details in my
wallet; can I afford the luxury of lifesaving treatment? Who
knows what would happen if I wasnt prepared? No doubt Id
be left lying on the road, a stray dog chewing on my mangled liver, as
I wait for the garbage van to dispose of
me.
Perhaps I exaggerate, but the
idea of being assessed for which level of healthcare Im entitled
to is thankfully foreign to me. Now I hear you cynics point out that
the situation is similar in the United Kingdom—private and NHS
care. However, unlike emergency rooms, British emergency departments do
not triage with an insurance screen to see what treatment youre
entitled to. Of course, in the United Kingdom, private health cover may
mean you get a hip replacement within months rather than decades but no
one will receive discriminatory health care on the basis of financial
insufficiency.
Its
true that the NHS has its own obstacles to overcome—healthcare
rationing, excessive political interference, and underfunding, to name
but a few. Thankfully, to date, health insurance has not been a further
degrading factor, but we shouldnt let down our guard. Where the
United States leads, the rest of the world seems to
follow.
I ask all healthcare
professionals to beware of the dangers of American style health
insurance. Lets deal with the current tide of problems eroding
the NHS without introducing a whole set of new
ones.
