Stephen Hawking and the UK government-run health service

[Starlight]

One of the things about recently-deceased Steven Hawking's life which doesn't seem to be well-known in America is the extent to which he owed his life to, and felt a deep personal debt to, and fought for, the UK's government-run health service. For 55 years he received treatment and assistance that kept him alive and able to pursue his passion of physics research and writing, long after money would have run out in a privatized healthcare system. Consider how much 55 years worth of healthcare would have cost him in the US's private system, and then consider that because he got all that free in the UK from the government that he was able to do his physics for which he was famous.

When the US was reaching peak wild Obamacare-will-kill-us-all claims:
Their comments provoked laughter as they didn't seem to realize that Hawking was English and had indeed received life-saving healthcare in the UK from the NHS.

Hawking's own response was swift:

In 2017, when the UK's conservative government were unveiling their plans to privatize parts of the NHS, Hawking entered the debate:

AFAICT he was still part of that lawsuit four months later at the time of his death yesterday.

[lilpixieofterror]

[EvoUK]

They were actually discussing that if he had been born recently, and was 22 years old and just developing MND now, his chances at becoming as productive a member of society would be much lower, due to conservative government cut backs and changes to PIP.

[EvoUK]

Well obviously it is paid for by taxes - however 'free at the point of use' is the general term.

[lilpixieofterror]

Well obviously it is paid for by taxes - however 'free at the point of use' is the general term.

[Mountain Man]

Well obviously it is paid for by taxes - however 'free at the point of use' is the general term.

It's deceptive interpretation of the word "free"

[firstfloor]

It's deceptive interpretation of the word "free"

[Psychic Missile]

How is it possible to hide the fact that the NHS is funded by taxes? Who wouldn't know that?

[EvoUK]

It's deceptive interpretation of the word "free"

[Charles]

It's deceptive interpretation of the word "free"

So we all know it was paid by tax payers. No one is denying that. However he did not pay for his particular treatment which was "free at the point of use". Would you really believe tax payers did not notice they paid taxes? There is no deception, it is all very easy to understand and no one is hiding anything. So it rather seems that your use of the word "deceptive" is actually deceptive.

[Raphael]

They were actually discussing that if he had been born recently, and was 22 years old and just developing MND now, his chances at becoming as productive a member of society would be much lower, due to conservative government cut backs and changes to PIP.

He would also have a fair number of people encouraging him to visit a clinic in the Netherlands or Switzerland so as not to be a burden / suffer the indignity and pain of the condition because people today tend not to see a 22 year old who has been given a diagnosis like that to be able to be productive members of society.

Today, compared to when Hawking was 22, we encourage people to give up way too easily.

[Mountain Man]

By that logic, my healthcare is "free" through my insurance because I don't pay "at the point of use".

By propagandizing that the healthcare is "free", your government has conditioned you to stop asking how much you're really paying and whether or not you're getting a good deal.

[Raphael]

I don't consider my health care to be free, and I can certainly point out areas where our healthcare system is in need of improvements. But at the same time I think that a country that offers socialized healthcare (e.g. NZ, UK, Canada) does more good than not having a socialized healthcare system

and I have also lived in a country where you need to have an expensive Medical Aid (what you call health insurance) and I was fortunate to have a fairly good one. But looking at the effect on the society of a country as a whole, Socialised Healthcare means more people can access medical care which in turn keeps them healthier, and that in turns helps them be more productive members of society.

[lilpixieofterror]

How is it possible to hide the fact that the NHS is funded by taxes? Who wouldn't know that?

[lilpixieofterror]

So we all know it was paid by tax payers. No one is denying that. However he did not pay for his particular treatment which was "free at the point of use". Would you really believe tax payers did not notice they paid taxes? There is no deception, it is all very easy to understand and no one is hiding anything. So it rather seems that your use of the word "deceptive" is actually deceptive.

How many people are actually aware of the amount of taxes they pay?