Living in the US, health care reform is a hot topic!.  I hear all of my American friends shudder when they hear of the looming reforms.  "Hold on" I say, it's not a bad thing, social medicine, just don't ever follow the way we totally screwed it up in the UK.

Thing is, the UK has managed to totally destroy a system that should have been the best in the World and I dont have enough energy to type the words to tell you why, but here is one clue – every person in the UK, that is working, has to pay a tax called National Insurance and this so called 'insurance' is paid TWICE – once by the employee and once by the employer.  Now remember this is a NATIONAL INSURANCE, so you can imagine my frustration, not to mention the frustration of the patients, when you hear of a situation whereby a cancer sufferer is denied treatment, because they live in an area that 'does not have the funding' to give them the drug they need, but get this…another area of the UK does have the funding and the drug, but will not accept the patient!!!!

Now I thought the term 'National'., meant just that and next time anyone is denied treatment, ask for the 'Regional' Insurance plan and watch in amazement when 'they' look at you in disbelief.

 America beware…don't copy our system!

~Neil