Nigel Farage: NHS debate 'will be needed' on insurance system

[Northerner]

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says the idea of replacing the NHS with an insurance-based system is "a debate that we're all going to have to return to".

Mr Farage told BBC political editor Nick Robinson his backing for the idea had been rejected by his party.

He denied he had "bottled it" by saying UKIP was now committed to the NHS.

He added: "There is no question that healthcare provision is going to have to be very much greater... and we're going to have to find ways to do it."

Last year a video emerged from 2012 in which Mr Farage proposed an "insurance-based system of healthcare".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30877758

Erm...National Insurance, Nigel? 🙄

 

[Mark T]

Sure sure, we can go to an insurance based system - just refund me my NI contributions first. Preferably with interest.

 

[Northerner]

Sure sure, we can go to an insurance based system - just refund me my NI contributions first. Preferably with interest.

And of course it works so well in the USA 🙄 The problems with our health service are due to the fact that money which ought to be spent on it is spent on so many other things instead.

 

[trophywench]

LOL - well are you saying then - if you want your NI contributions refunded - that you don't want a state pension, wouldn't claim sickness or injury benefit if they were warranted, or unemployment benefit ditto? Not to mention Disability .........

The cost of the 'stamp' even when you include the employer portion, can't possibly cover everything it's supposed to, can it?

I dunno why they don't just stick the rate of Income Tax up - grief, it's lower now than ever in my life.

And of course - they are welcome to stick the Surtax rate back up to 97.5p in the £1 as far as I'm concerned too !

 

[Northerner]

I pay nearly as much NI as I do income tax! 😱

 

[Andy HB]

I think the bulk of the Nhs funding comes from general taxation, but a small portion does come from the NI contributions. My understanding is that the bulk of the NI contributions goes towards the state pension.

Anyway, I thought that we already had an insurance based system in this country? Private medical care (e.g. BUPA) for instance.

I guess the issue here is whether UKIP eventually want to go for a totally insurance based system. If so, they can go take a running jump.

Andy 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Well we do have BUPA type insurance which anyone can access given that they can afford it of course.

But - they never cough up for normal stuff like the common cold or a standard broken leg - though if you need physio or something after the NHS have treated your break - well yes, they might depending on the level of cover. In any event these over and above elements of medical/health add-ons can be purchased privately anyway. I needed a scrip for a specific and expensive drug after I had a BUPA hysterectomy - so the consultant phoned my NHS doctor, told him what I had and what I needed and the NHS took care of it. Otherwise it would have cost me over £20 just for the drugs over the counter at the chemist! Because I asked them at the time.

So even if you are insured up to the hilt in England, it will never cover the breadth of what the NHS does for us.

 

[Mark T]

And of course it works so well in the USA 🙄 The problems with our health service are due to the fact that money which ought to be spent on it is spent on so many other things instead.

LOL - well are you saying then - if you want your NI contributions refunded - that you don't want a state pension, wouldn't claim sickness or injury benefit if they were warranted, or unemployment benefit ditto? Not to mention Disability .........

The cost of the 'stamp' even when you include the employer portion, can't possibly cover everything it's supposed to, can it?

I dunno why they don't just stick the rate of Income Tax up - grief, it's lower now than ever in my life.

And of course - they are welcome to stick the Surtax rate back up to 97.5p in the £1 as far as I'm concerned too !

I blow my nose at you 😛

 

[ypauly]

There is definitely something good about knowing that a set amount of money you pay will go on nothing but healthcare and I would dearly like to see the national insurance system adapted for that purpose.
That way if the NHS needs more they can just increase every bodies contributions without political interference. It could also prevent the NHS from being the political football it has become just simply remove it from the normal tax system and give it it's own.


If that's the debate the Farage wants I would like to see something along those lines.