Actually this is where the US and the NHS are the most alike. Realize that the NHS is what would be considered and HMO here (Health Maintenence Organization) Basiaclly a cooperative of doctors and hospitals working in agreement with an insurance company. The insurance company paying better benefits if you see doctors and use facilities within their HMO system And only prescribing medications on THEIR formulary. That’s exactly what the NHS does: they pay entirely if you use their doctors and facilities and a reduced rate for doctors and facilities outside the system (if they pay at all) and likely don’t cover medications not on THEIR formulary. The difference here is that I can choose from several different insurance companies, or even with the same insurance company I can choose a non HMO plan........However my admiration of the US system has been severely tarnished having learned about doctor/pharmaceutical deals that drove nation wide opioid addiction, the butt covering use of expensive diagnostic testing at every opportunity that leaves people with huge bills, that can only be paid if they are employed, or pay expensive insurance, the denial of care by insurance companies and the need to make choices based on relationships between hospitals and insurers. .......
In essence, the NHS is just one example of the type of insurances available on the US market. That said, I really know nothing of your private options there But from what I gather on this forum the doctors in private practice are for the most part merely NHS doctors moonlighting on their off time? So an already overworked staff gets even longer hours? And with the same mindset regarding what drugs and treatment are appropriate? If that’s true then the only difference I see is that the patient is now paying directly for the same service he would get on NHS free?
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