Does ‘Universal’ mean I cannot buy more?
Sunday, 24 February 2008 Jacob TomawGreg Mankiw quotes a story of a woman in the U.K. who has been prevented from buying more healthcare. He then poses a great question,
This kind of situation is likely to arise more over time. Technological advance is making state-of-the-art health care increasingly expensive. In any kind of national health system, some treatments will, by simple cost-benefit calculation, be deemed too expensive to provide to all citizens. But does that mean those of above-average income should be excluded as well? Should they lose basic benefits if they choose to pay for these marginal services with their own money?
If you say yes to this last question, as the U.K. health service has, here is a related one: Should a parent who hires an after-school tutor for his child be barred from sending the child to the public schools?