Two-tier health service could be future

Private health insurance companies are thought to be watching the developments in the private top-ups to NHS treatment news story. With the potential for profits, companies such as Bupa, AXA/PPP, Norwich Union healthcare and WPA health insurance are all thought to be closely monitoring the top-up market.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have faced considerable criticism regarding their decisions on drugs . Sir Michael Rawlins was reported as commenting: We are told we are being mean all the time, but what nobody mentions is why the drugs are so expensive. The other thing we have to pay for is the cost of marketing . Marketing costs generally are about twice the spend on research and development.

Critics of the government’s decision to allow drug top-ups point out that a two-tier national health service is now the future. Those who can afford to will pay for more effective, more expensive treatments whilst the poor will continue to go without.