In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service has dropped Alzheimer\’s medication from the list of drugs covered by their universal health care system, citing the high cost of providing the drugs. In a recent court ruling, the High Court found the move to be legal, citing the diminished benefits of Alzheimer\’s drugs in later stages of the disease.
In essence, it was up to the courts to make a determination of how effective the drugs were – and not health professionals. Some very interesting points are made in the comments section of this Scottish news account of the court ruling. Among them:
My wife\’s mother here in Madrid has been using Aricept for about 3 years now to treat Alzheimer\’s, and we have certainly seen a massive improvement since she started using it. It is free for all pensioners over 65 in Spain, although those under 65 have to pay 40% of the cost.
I find it perplexing that the UK constantly appears to lag behind countries such as Spain in so many health related issues like this.
This may sound familiar:
This is the same NHS that wastes huge amount of money to offer free treatment to immigrant and asylum seekers as well as paying for translation costs and bankrolling a lot of useless manager.
While supporters of Wisconsin\’s proposed government-run health care system continue to speculate as to how the program will work, they forget that similar programs already exist. And they have the same problems we will inevitably see in Wisconsin. \”Healthy Wisconsin\” is a mystery to which we already know the answer – it\’s just a matter of who is willing to listen.
August 16, 2007 at 9:55 am
How stupid are you people on the right?
Why is there only one possible option for a US health care plan? No other nation has such a plan, everyone used a 150 yr old UK plan?
Is there a law that prevents other plans from existing?
Do you think that the US medical profession, all the doctors, researchers, drug and equipment manufactureres are oing to not have a say, in this plan? That they are going to just accept your word on this, being the only option for them, and the nation?
That the US medical insudtry is NOT going to demand the our current techniques of diagnostics, treatments and preventive cares are simply going to be tossed out the window…beacuse you say the UK system is the only possible route any health care can follow?
Hey, stupid people…I have a nice ( recently inspected) bridge for sale too!
The UK system…why not go with the whole witchcraft thing, toss in some VooDoo and of course, your faith-based healing plans.
Your UK claim is pretty damn insluting to the entire US medical industry.