I have to agree with you that we have to change the relationship between the patient and who pays the bill. I personally think we should have a free market where healthcare providers and institutions compete like Walmart and Target.

As to the UKs transparency in their health system. I am taking care of several patients who have come over from London. Each has a medical problem that would have been treated very differently here. In fact they have come here for that very reason. It is all but impossible to get any records from their treating hospitals in the UK. Their medical issues are the result of occurrences that here in the US would have a medical malpractice carrier on the phone right away to settle.

And I wonder how many people will die in the process. Malpractice lawyers can make a killing (pun intended) if this happens.

You see an article about health care. I see a journalist who cannot even get the first word of the article right, yes like most American’s she has interchanged Britain and England. After getting the first word wrong what is the quality of the rest of the article going to be like? (It should be England when referring to this proposed change, or the UK for the whole system nhs/hscni ).

“It appears that British[sic!] patients may be faced with a decision whether they want to pay more money for better quality”

No, you have totally misunderstood everything.

The UK is promoting a level of choice and transparency that, I think, is only possible because the government has exerted control for such a long time, and can enforce that transparency.

In the US, I don’t think its practically possible to get to that level without some strong hand that changes the relationships among patient/consumers, insurance/payer companies, and the government.

Sadly, the general public delves no further when they hear what they want to hear.

I applaud the UK for getting on the ball. But how blind are we, here? Yikes!!