British Healthcare

by Jason Stotts

In a very unexpected turn of events, Britain is considering moving more towards a free market solution to healthcare.  From the article “Britain Plans to Decentralize Health Care”:

Practical details of the plan are still sketchy. But its aim is clear: to shift control of England’s $160 billion annual health budget from a centralized bureaucracy to doctors at the local level. Under the plan, $100 billion to $125 billion a year would be meted out to general practitioners, who would use the money to buy services from hospitals and other health care providers.

The plan would also shrink the bureaucratic apparatus, in keeping with the government’s goal to effect $30 billion in “efficiency savings” in the health budget by 2014 and to reduce administrative costs by 45 percent. Tens of thousands of jobs would be lost because layers of bureaucracy would be abolished. (NY Times)

This is great news and if the trend continues, they’ll find that the most efficient way to handle healthcare is to laissez-nous faire.

More info at the BBC: NHS shake-up ‘hands funding powers to GPs’