How is the health care system in the U. K. financed?

Favorite Answer

In UK by general taxation. All British citizens (resident) in the UK, and all legally settled non British citizens, including resident European Union member state nationals, are eligible for care.
IS NOT FREE if we pay our taxes, is it?

You can be a NON resident British citizen and NOT entitled to free care. A&E at hospitals are obliged to clarify your residence. Lots of people get around that by giving the address of a relation or friend. Very lax! Know of a British citizen who had been living in Greece, for many years, who came "home", knowing would need treatment!

Could never work in the US, because they are obsessed with the market! They think they can BUY everything and the idea of a system where equality is a major issue is alien to them.

Know Canada, but not able to comment on their system, other than fact,as in ALL things, it is BETTER than the US!...Show more

Any British citizen is eligible and there are agreements with other European Union Countries.
If you get a system in the US I hope you have better systems in place than we have to stop health tourists coming over from all over the place to get free treatment at the British taxpayers expense.

It is financed through taxation.
Income tax
National Insurance
VAT
Corporation tax
Road tax
Petrol tax
Cigarette tax
Alcohol tax
etc etc etc......Show more

High taxes, same in Canada. The population and power of the insurance companies is too great to ever have national health care here, other than research facilities like NIH or public health clinics.

England is a little country with 62 million and Canada has only 34 million. Compare that to the USA with 310 million ! It is very different attitude as well....Show more

It is funded by every worker paying into the National Health Insurance throughout their working lifetime.
Visitors to the UK are supposed to be charged but usually leave without paying....Show more