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[Jenna]

I'm not familiar with how your health care system works.  I'd appreciate it, if you could explain it to me.  Is everyone in the UK covered for health insurance? 

What are some of the negatives people say about it, even though it works?

[Robin Tetley]

Essentially the NHS is a free healthcare system. We don't pay. Some people choose to go private which probably gives you faster access to certain procedures (I'd imagine these are minor ones because with serious things like cancer the NHS is very good) and the only reason to have health insurance is if you choose to see a private doctor.

I don't fully understand how this works but some NHS doctors and specialists also see private patients but of course not in NHS work time. My Mum is a secretary to a specialist and he sees between four and six private patients a week. He pays my Mum separately by the letter (the specialist will write to the patients GP (General Practitioner) as to his or her advice) and she always stays at work late on a Friday to do the private work.

[Jenna]

Sounds like a good plan.  However, someone has to pay for this free health care plan.  I'm assuming everyone is taxed pretty heavily for free health insurance.  I know Canada also has free health insurance and one of the complaints is government has to much control over it.  Often people don't like government interfering with health care.

So are people in the UK taxed in order to provide free health insurance?  If so, how much?

[Robin Tetley]

I guess because it's always been there we don't know exactly how much we are taxed for it. Most people, even people who would choose private medical care, are proud of the system we have I think and would not see it go. Even Maggie Thatcher when she came in said "the NHS is safe in my hands". I guess you could work out how much it costs per year and therefore roughly work out how much we each pay for it but I don't think that's an argument anybody would be that interested in realistically. People might groan about to much "bureaucracy" or to many interim managers and not enough nurses and Doctors on the ground but still, the NHS is pretty safe. 

[Jenna]

You are very lucky to have a good health care system.  As you may know, there millions of people in the United States who do not have health insurance.  Usually health insurance is provided by your employer, but with so many people out of work and can't afford to pay the huge premiums themselves, they decide to go without health insurance, which is another contributing factor to the poor economy. 

Obama is already coming up with a health plan. Hopefully it will be a good plan that will cover everyone, just like the UK.  I also heard that China has a good health care plan that everyone is happy with.  Anyone familiar with China's health care?

[Robin Tetley]

I don't know about China's system but would also be interested to know if anybody can chip in to the discussion here.

Have you seen Michael Moore's film 'Sicko'? That's a fascinating look at the US health system and many around the world too.

Even if one disagrees with Mr. Moore's liberal leanings it's still worth a watch.