I feel slightly guilty. From tomorrow, the cost of a prescription is reduced from £6.85 to £5.00. "Great!" you say. Socialists everywhere rejoice.
I still feel slightly guilty. You see, prescription charges are only payable by those who can afford them (and in some cases not even by them). If you are over 60, if you are under 16 or in full time education, you are exempt. If you (or your partner) are on benefits, you are exempt. If you are pregnant or have had a child in the last 12 months, you are exempt. 92% of precriptions in Scotland are issued free of charge.
So, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, could Ms Sturgeon not have found something more deserving to spend the health budget on?
Incidentally, for those like me who actually pay regular prescription charges, the big savings will arise not on the 37% reduction in the single prescription charge quoted above but on the 50% plus reductions in the pre-payment certificates (PPCs). A 4 month PPC is reduced from £35.85 to £17.00, while the 12 month PPC is reduced from £98.70 to £48.00. Thus, whereas at present you need to consume more than 5 prescriptions in 4 months to justify buying a 4 month PPC, in future you will only need to consume more than 3. The equivalent figures for a 12 month PPC are more than 14 prescriptions at present and more than 9 prescriptions in future.
1 comment:
To some extent the fact that people on higher incomes disproportionately fund these expenditures should ease your mind. But given that this is sometimes not enough to assuage the feelings of guilt, how about this idea: Elective Income Tax.
EIT would allow taxpayers to choose to add perhaps up to 3p on their marginal income tax rate. They'd pay more tax and thus feel better, and could get a sticker for their car or house window, to let others know about their generosity.
This is a win-win I think, as it would allow those who want higher income taxes to get them, without alienating those who dont want higher income taxes.
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