First the National (Un)Health Service said if you wanted a drug that it wasn’t willing to provide–too expensive for the purpose of saving your miserable life!–and decided to buy it yourself, then you would lose ALL medical care under the NHS.  That is, if you wanted a potentially life-saving treatment, you might have to bankrupt your family to pay for the rest of your treatment.  Just love those bureaucrats.  How I want that kind of treatment here, but I digress.

Under fire from just about everyone, NHS reversed itself. Now you can buy the drugs and continue your treatment under NHS.  But what about families that did ruin themselves financially under the old rules?  Reports the Daily Mail:

The health service is set to face a string of compensation claims from cancer patients after its U-turn on top-up payments.

It comes after yesterday’s landmark announcement that patients who buy their own life-extending medication will no longer lose their free NHS care.

Previously those who paid for drugs not available on the NHS were excluded from the health service.

Patients will now be allowed NHS care as long as they pay for the cost of any staff time, tests and scans associated with the extra drugs they buy.

But many cancer patients have already spent their life savings on treatment that will now be available free.

Simon Swaffield of Swaffields solicitors said: ‘If I was a cancer patient I would be distinctly galled that I had blown my life savings, knowing that if I had been diagnosed later I would not have.

‘I would encourage people to apply for refunds. It is a fairly logical next step for patients in this position.’

America’s health care system is messed up.  But turning the entire system over to government ensures that Americans will lack the health care they need and will end up paying a lot more for whatever care the government deigns to provide.  Not a good deal on any measure!