As Obama pushes new regulations, UK eyes privatizing its health care

**Roshi** · 21st February 2012 05:44 PM

“Europe’s message to the world is no longer that the socialist dream of the cradle-to-grave welfare state is an easy achievement,” Morris said. “Rather, it is the shouted warning that it is a fool’s paradise. The bills are coming due and the only real alternatives — serious financial reform of government or national bankruptcy — are not pleasant.”Morris added that

Filmmaker Michael Moore glorified the United Kingdom’s National Health Service in his 2007 documentary ”Sicko,” making a cult film argument that socialized medicine works. But Prime Minister David Cameron, the Tory MP who heads a coalition government in England, is apparently not a Moore fan: He is working to partially privatize the NHS, beginning a massive outsourcing of medical services to private health care providers throughout the U.K.

UK Health Care | Privatization | Obamacare | The Daily Caller

This is what it looks like when a country labors for years under the weight of nationalized healthcare, realizes that it’s financially unsustainable, and then tries to implement meaningful reforms.

Many of those on the receiving end of “free” healthcare won’t like it. Not one bit. Just ask Britain’s Health Secretary Andrew Lansleywho, in the words of the Daily Mail, was “ambushed by a Left-wing activist” early Monday morning.

British Minister Seeking to Reform Nationalized Healthcare Ambushed by ‘Left-Wing’ Activists | Video | TheBlaze.com

And reality is now taking effect

**Morgan** · 21st February 2012 06:06 PM

Ha! The Tories are in for it if they think the people will accept the privatization of healthcare. If they really want to cut costs, go the nationalized insurance route, rather than the socialized medicine route.

**carpe diem** · 21st February 2012 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Roshi

The truth hurts. The silence by the left here is deafening.

**Singularity** · 21st February 2012 11:12 PM

I recall that all of the parties in the recent UK election fell over themselves with assurances that the NHS would not be touched. My perception is that the NHS is very much like Social Security here as a political third rail. If Cameron wants to cut it, he'll have a tough fight ahead. He has an advantage in that he can call the next election whenever he wants (though the Coalition has promised adherence to a set 5-year term) but it still seems awfully ballsy.

**Dangermouse** · 22nd February 2012 05:19 AM

Cameron staged a meeting on his "reforms" at the weekend without inviting any of the myriad detractors of the plan. He wrongly assumed that the non-objectors were supportive.

" If David Cameron was hoping for an easy ride on his controversial NHS shakeup by excluding its fiercest critics from the Downing Street gathering of carefully selected health leaders, he will have been disappointed.

While the atmosphere was polite and constructive, those invited used the opportunity to detail their concerns about how the health and social care bill could damage the NHS. They raised directly with the prime minister the same fears and uncertainties that the leaders of Britain's nurses, doctors and other professions who want the bill scrapped would have mentioned – if they had been present.

David Cameron's NHS summit guests refuse to follow reforms script | Politics | The Guardian

**highway234** · 22nd February 2012 06:32 AM

The tories have been trying to privatize the NHS for years. they can't get it done, because the English see our system and they don't want it. understandably.

**Roshi** · 22nd February 2012 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by highway234

The tories have been trying to privatize the NHS for years. they can't get it done, because the English see our system and they don't want it. understandably.

Sure because they love the free ride. But the free ride isn't sustainable. Let's try realism for a chance.

**Morgan** · 22nd February 2012 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Roshi

Sure because they love the free ride. But the free ride isn't sustainable. Let's try realism for a chance.

Well sure, but socialized medicine is different from nationalized insurance. With nationalized insurance, the government isn't operating the vast network of hospitals, they're just footing the bill, passing regulation to control costs.