Friday, September 28, 2007

Disadvantages of Private Health Care.

Yesterday, I posted about the benefits of private health care. Today there are the problems of relying on Private health care insurance. These arguments are particularly relevant with regard to the US health care vs the Current UK system.

If health care is not universal and free at the point of use people will be require to take out private health care insurance. There are several disadvantages to relying on Private health care.

1. Inequality.
It will be a bigger burden for those on low incomes to take out health care insurance. Those on low incomes may not be able to afford certain types of treatment. High income earners can afford to have privileged health care.

2. Health Care is a Merit Good.

People may forget, be unwilling or be unable to take out private health care insurance. A merit good means people underestimate the benefits. Therefore, the government should intervene to prevent this market failure of under-consumption.

3. Positive Externalities.

A good health care system can contribute to a successful economy. If people are treated quickly and efficiently it will help improve labour productivity. In a free market these positive externalities are ignored leading to under-consumption.

4. More Expensive.

Private Health care firms require a profit motive to make it worth while. Therefore, consumers must pay for not just health care but also the necessary profit margin. The US spends the highest

5. Bureaucracy

In US govt subside health care for people on low incomes through programs like Medicare. However, this procedure is very bureaucratic. It takes a long time to fill in the forms and get

6. Difficult to get money back.

Can be difficult to get Private insurance firms to Pay for the cost of treatment

If you watch Michael Moore's new film - Sicko, you will probably get more examples of the inefficiency and inequities of the current US health care system

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lot of this essay has been plagiarized from this page

http://sangecon.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/disadvantages-of-private-health-care/

I suggest you edit it and add a source list of some kind.

Tejvan Pettinger said...

No. This essay was published in 2007. That essays was published in 2010. They even link to my original essay. The plagarisation is clearly the other way around.

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