A couple of years ago, Paul Krugman assured us that government-run healthcare was a good idea, writing that “In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve all heard scare stories about how that works in practice; these stories are false.”
Well, if the stories are false, the British press must love to tell negative lies about their own nation, as I’ve pointed out in a series of often-horrifying blog posts here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
And now there’s a new revelation that further demolishes Krugman’s assertion. But more troubling, it also provides a glimpse at America’s future with Obamacare. Here are some cheerful excerpts from a story in the UK-based Independent.
Hip replacements, cataract surgery and tonsil removal are among operations now being rationed in a bid to save the NHS money. Two-thirds of health trusts in England are rationing treatments for “non-urgent” conditions as part of the drive to reduce costs in the NHS by £20bn over the next four years. One in three primary-care trusts (PCTs) has expanded the list of procedures it will restrict funding to in the past 12 months. …According to responses from the 111 trusts to freedom-of-information requests, 64 per cent of them have now introduced rationing policies for non-urgent treatments and those of limited clinical value. Of those PCTs that have not introduced restrictions, a third are working with GPs to reduce referrals or have put in place peer-review systems to assess referrals. In the last year, 35 per cent of PCTs have added procedures to lists of treatments they no longer fund because they deem them to be non-urgent or of limited clinical value. ..Bill Walters, 75, from Berkshire, recently had to wait 30 weeks for a hip operation instead of the standard 18.
I’ve never pretended the American healthcare system is perfect, largely because of massive government intervention and control. And even a laissez-faire system doubtlessly would generate some horror stories.
But I feel very comfortable in stating that the United Kingdom is a good example of why more government is never the answer for problems created by government involvement in the first place.
If anyone in Britain likes NHS, its only because they dont know any better. American healthcare is at least one half better than Britain, which is bottom of the barrel. You might be better off in the back woods of India than a British death center.
[…] sub-par single-payer, government-run healthcare system in the United Kingdom (UK), Paul Krugman infamously claimed that,“In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve all […]
[…] about the sub-par single-payer healthcare system in the United Kingdom, Paul Krugman infamously claimed that,“In […]
[…] about the sub-par single-payer healthcare system in the United Kingdom, Paul Krugman infamously claimed that, “In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve […]
[…] about the sub-par single-payer healthcare system in the United Kingdom, Paul Krugman infamously claimed that,“In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve all […]
[…] By the way, Paul Krugman tells us that all these stories are false. So who are you going to believe, him or your lying […]
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[…] 2009, Paul Krugman assured his readers that government-run healthcare was a good idea, writing that: “In Britain, the government itself […]
[…] In 2009, Paul Krugman assured his readers that government-run healthcare was a good idea, writing that: “In Britain, the government itself […]
[…] 2009, Paul Krugman assured his readers that government-run healthcare was a good idea, writing that “In Britain, the government itself […]
[…] the simple reason that we don’t want to burst his bubble. Krugman assured us back in 2009 that government-run healthcare was a good idea, writing that “In Britain, the […]
Bad enough when YOU have to budget healthcare YOU can’t pay for, WORSE when the government rations healthcare you DID pay for and wold be willing to pay for separately.
[…] And I’ve shared numerous examples of substandard care from the United Kingdom, in part because I can’t resist mocking Paul Krugman. […]
[…] the Obamacare debate, Paul Krugman told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
[…] the Obamacare debate, Paul Krugman told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, […]
[…] the Obamacare debate, Paul Krugman told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
[…] the Obamacare debate, Paul Krugman told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
Under Obama care everyone will have healthcare. It will become substandard, difficult to access health care within a few short years. Only those that have money, will be able to pay privately for good healthcare. Therefore, we will still be a country of the haves and the have nots. Of course, our good Congressmen and Senators will all be part of the have good health care side.
Stipulated: I don’t know Jack about the UK NHS.
But I worked with many British Engineers ca 90’s. Almost all of them would have ripped out an eye tooth without anesthetic to NOT BE BRITISH.
That’s b/c they were all of the Kind On the Business End of the Socialism, and not on the Rewards End. They were underpaid, if they could find work at all. The only ones who had jobs were those working oil in the North Sea or overseas.
One poor fellow was working as an Illegal Canadian. Yes, according to our US rules at the time (pre911), illegal Canadians were eligible to work. Not legally, but de facto, cause no one got fried for hiring them. But Brits couldn’t. Don’t ask, I don’t know. Immigration law would make a Byzantine bureaucrat’s head spin. So my colleague kept his British papers at home (giving him legal residency but no right to work), and a fake Canuckistani DL in his pocket. Go figure.
… If that’s how a nation treats its engineers, I’d hate to be sick, or handicapped, or mental.
Sad really; the nation that gave the world English Common Law and the Industrial Revolution can no longer provide for its own.
Socialism has done what no Enemy ever could: Reduced Englishmen to mad dogs and wussies. Do any of you guys remember the 70’s when the lights went out? Or do you just recall that Maggie was the Blue Meanie?
[…] Paul Krugman would say about this scandalous neglect and mistreatment. During the Obamacare debate, he told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
Janet, you don’t know a thing about U.S. healthcare (as it is now). With all the overregulations the only people getting rich off the sick are the federal government. If you pay for your own sevices the doctor will give you up to a 40% dicount because they have their money and don’t have to mess with insurance companies. That means you would pay $120 for a $200 service. I had a friend in England who said to just slip the doctor a $50 bill and you can just walk right in. So much for fairness.
We have excellent healthcare and compared to Europe, our taxes are low and our standard of living is better.
[…] Paul Krugman would say about this scandalous neglect and mistreatment. During the Obamacare debate, he told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
[…] Paul Krugman would say about this scandalous neglect and mistreatment. During the Obamacare debate, he told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
[…] Cato's Dan Mitchell has a lengthy back-catalog of NHS horrors here. […]
[…] the Obamacare debate, Paul Krugman told us we could ignore stories about what was happening across the ocean, writing that “In Britain, the […]
[…] about the sometimes-deadly shortcomings of government-run healthcare in the United Kingdom (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), so I like to think I’m relatively immune to […]
[…] poked fun at Paul Krugman for his views on health care and British fiscal policy, and I’ve semi-defended him about unemployment subsidies and housing […]
“…for a privately run insurance based system, except perhaps those who merely want to make profits out of the sick.”
Of course not. YOU prefer to have a sub-standard system, where you personally pay only a small fraction of actual costs. Of course, I would be FORCED to help pay for your ‘cheap’ crud.
Me, me, me.
I prefer a higher-standards system where my family will not f@cking DIE: if I have to personally pay more for it, then, well, I can live with that.
Of course, under the private insurance system, it would NOT cost me more… but what the Hell do you care, right? After all, it is my ‘moral duty’ to ‘help’ you and your 10 welfare brats, ain’t it? If this socialistic garbage ends up KILLING my family, well… you certainly couldn’t care less, even if you put some effort into it.
[…] poked fun at Paul Krugman for his views on health care and British fiscal policy, and I’ve semi-defended him about unemployment subsidies and […]
[…] poked fun at Paul Krugman for his views on health care and British fiscal policy, and I’ve semi-defended him about unemployment subsidies and […]
[…] Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden all exemplify the disasters that come with a completely government-run system. In every country with government-only health care — a public option monopoly — medicine and treatment are rationed on a systemic level. And yes, countries with socialized health care do have death panels. (My book Remaking America: Welcome to the Dark Side of the Welfare State accounts for the health care disaster in Sweden. For another good account, see here.) […]
“I don’t know of anyone in Britain who wants to swap our system”
Me, for one.
Those who want to make money, or those who want the nation to stop losing money? It’s not free. The costs are simply hidden or pushed off onto future generations.
[…] Cato’s Dan Mitchell has a lengthy back-catalog of NHS horrors here. […]
Re: Janet
“I don’t know of anyone in Britain who wants to swap our system of comprehensive care free at the point of need, for a privately run insurance based system, except perhaps those who merely want to make profits out of the sick.”
How about those with cancer? Why don’t you take a look at what the survival rates are in the US compared to not just the UK but every other nation in the world? It’s no surprise that many Europeans and Canadians with the money to do so choose the US for major operations instead of their own countries.
What else can Paul Krugman say? He asserts in NYtimes “Recession is caused by global warming”! Anyways, If he says Brit health-care stories are false, then they must be true.
For Brits, maybe many of them have become comfortable with what they have, even if imperfect. But that is no reason to ignore follies and not striving to make it better.
But govt. care is never good, in any country, acc. to my experience.
I think you also need to know that the British people value their National Health Service greatly. So much so, that the current Prime Minister, David Cameron omitted to tell the electorate of his plans to fundamentally alter the way it works. Given that public satisfaction with our health service was at an all time high prior to the last election, Cameron knew the British people would not have supported his plans for its reorganisation and would not have put him in power if he had been honest about his intentions.
I don’t know of anyone in Britain who wants to swap our system of comprehensive care free at the point of need, for a privately run insurance based system, except perhaps those who merely want to make profits out of the sick.