Mixed views for new healthcare levy plan

Chinese who reside in Britain are expressing mixed views on the country's new "healthcare levy" plan.

Under the plan announced in early July, foreigners from outside the European Union applying for visas lasting more than six months will have to pay the levy. They are currently entitled to free treatment in the UK.

Betty Xiao, a Chinese student at Birkbeck, University of London, has studied in Britain for seven years. She said the levy is understandable, because "we must pay for treatment in China".

"I registered with a GP surgery after I arrived in London but, in fact, I prepared many common medications and rarely went to the GP or hospital during my time in Britain," she said.

According to British health officials, migrants will be charged to access National Health Service treatment to ensure they "contribute towards the cost of their healthcare".

Shorter-term visitors will also face charges for any treatment.

The fee, which is likely to be around 200 pounds ($302) a year, will be in addition to the cost of a visa.

Most overseas students are young and use the NHS less than British people, Xiao said, adding that Chinese students prepare common Chinese medications for themselves and some don't even register with a general practitioner or family doctor.

Normally, the GP is not very efficient, and "you need to wait for a long time to see the doctor", Xiao said, "except for in an emergency".

Guo Ningning, who worked in a Chinese company's London branch for more than one year, said, "If payment for the NHS can increase its efficiency, I think the levy is helpful."

Fu Jia, who graduated from the University of Oxford and worked in the UK for one year, said, "Overseas students, who are not taxpayers, should pay for the NHS system, which is supported by British taxpayers".

Not all Chinese think so. On Sina Weibo, a micro blog service, a popular account called "Red Scarf in the UK", mostly followed by Chinese living in Britain, launched an online survey on the levy plan.

Among 815 respondents, 85.5 percent thought that everyone should be entitled to free healthcare in the UK, while 14.5 percent favored foreigners paying for the NHS.

One Chinese man who didn't disclose his name wrote, "Launched in 1948, the NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth - a principle that remains at its core."

The new plan will reverse that, he wrote, adding that Britain is still in an economic downturn and the government is preparing for the next general election in 2015.

In a similar survey on the British website of The Telegraph, of a total of 1,812 respondents, 85.1 percent supported the government charging migrants and visitors to use the NHS.

Only 14.9 per cent said everyone should be entitled to free healthcare.

Wang Jing, in his 30s, has worked in Britain for a local company for more than three years. He said the surveys "reflect the different positions".

"I work here and pay tax as the same as the British people, so foreigners like me should get free treatment," he said, but "someone who didn't pay tax should pay for the NHS - that's reasonable."

Contact the writer at zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/15/2013 page10)