Preventative Healthcare: A Facade for Paternalism
20 July 2023
SUGGESTED
In the Media
Len Shackleton quoted by Business Link
20 July 2023
Press Release
Housing and Planning
Chris Snowdon writes for CapX
IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Chris Snowdon has written for CapX about the myth of preventative healthcare, arguing that it’s a distraction from the real issues facing the NHS.
Chris wrote:
“The health establishment has convinced itself that there would be less pressure on the NHS if people were healthier. This is widely believed and feels almost intuitive. As the Oxford Handbook of Health Economics drily notes, ‘it is frequently argued (but not by economists) that prevention will save expenditure on future treatment’.
“Nevertheless, the myth that preventative health saves money persists. It acts as a handy distraction from the failings of the NHS and the inevitable costs that come from having an ageing population. It also gives paternalists an excuse for interfering in other people’s lives.
“The policy recommendations are based on nothing but blind faith, and deep down the authors know it.”
You can read the full article here.
Chris wrote:
“The health establishment has convinced itself that there would be less pressure on the NHS if people were healthier. This is widely believed and feels almost intuitive. As the Oxford Handbook of Health Economics drily notes, ‘it is frequently argued (but not by economists) that prevention will save expenditure on future treatment’.
“Nevertheless, the myth that preventative health saves money persists. It acts as a handy distraction from the failings of the NHS and the inevitable costs that come from having an ageing population. It also gives paternalists an excuse for interfering in other people’s lives.
“The policy recommendations are based on nothing but blind faith, and deep down the authors know it.”
You can read the full article here.
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