Saturday 28 February 2015

I am never going to use homeopathy

or chiropractic or a range of other "alternative" or "complementary" health related items. I know there are people who do. I know they firmly believe in these things. It is even possible that these things do them good - even if it is just because they do believe in them.
My health fund covers these things. I suspect every health fund does. It covers other things I will almost certainly never use either. I don't want that sort of cover but I am forced to pay for it in order to get the cover I do want.
I want my hospital and specialist cover. I want my dental cover. I want optical cover because I recognise I might need it. There are other things I might need which I would be happy to pay cover for but the "alternative" and "complementary" medicines are not among those things. If I ever want to use unproven and even discredited health procedures then I will pay for them in  some other way - or I would if I had a choice.
Our health fund, along with every other health fund is about to raise the fees again - by more than inflation. They have been given permission to do this. They will be making another healthy profit. Even if they did not raise their fees they would make a profit, albeit a smaller profit.  
We are already paying for the health care of those who use tobacco, who drink too heavily, who (ab)use drugs and who are overweight through a preference for fast or junk food. Perhaps we can help those people. 
It is much harder to help anyone who genuinely believes in some of the other alternative and complementary health procedures. I would however like my health fund to give me the right to choose what I wish to be covered for and for me to pay accordingly. If they were lucky then I might opt for more and use less - and it would be better than paying for what I will never use. 

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