Should private medical insurance be subsidised?

<p>The private health care sector forms a relatively small part of the system of health care in this country, but its importance has grown in recent decades.</p> </p><p><P>Compared to the 3.6 million people </p><p>covered by private medical insurance </p><p>(PMI) in 1980, there are approximately </p><p>6.4 million people covered today, and </p><p>private-sector health spending accounts </p><p>for approximately 16 per cent of total </p><p>health spending. This proportion remains </p><p>small by international standards, and </p><p>despite the significant increases in </p><p>funding allocated to the NHS over the </p><p>next five years, many commentators have </p><p>predicted a further increasing role for the </p><p>private sector as the NHS continues to </p><p>grapple with ever-increasing demands.</p>