"Paying Twice"
Those who can afford it sometimes opt for private healthcare, usually to get treated more quickly in private facilities (i.e. facilities not provided by, or using, NHS staff or services). When this occurs, these patients are opting to pay twice for their health care, once for the NHS through taxes, and again for the private care they are using. Critics argue that these people do use NHS services, such as their General Practitioner, screening, and vaccination services, and that their opting out from time-to-time is effectively queue jumping because they are utilising a resource ahead of someone in greater need and that their double payment is the penalty for queue jumping. It is argued that it is a civic responsibility for every citizen capable of paying legally applicable levels of tax, to do so, regardless of service use. Therefore, the public services can be subsidised for those who wish to use them - economically, the more people who pay taxes, the less cost to each individual concerned.
Read more about this topic: Criticism Of The National Health Service
Famous quotes containing the word paying:
“There is all of the difference in the world between paying and being paid.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Above and beyond paying attention to feelings before and after a separation, never threaten your child with leaving or loss of love in an effort to control her behavior. Children believe their parents’ assertions that “I will send you away,” “I won’t love you any more,” “I’ll go away,” and are terrified with good reason. Fear is a very poor way of disciplining a child, and it can cause severe lifelong anxiety.”
—Alicia F. Lieberman (20th century)