Commentary: The Consequences of Private Involvement in Healthcare – The Australian Experience

The Cambie proposition is the American individualistic one: If I can afford to pay for quick access to care, then that should be my right. It denies any concept of universalism, of the common good or that your rights might adversely impact my rights and my healthcare experience. Some private care proponents offer the magical prospect that this quicker access for the wealthy few has no impact on access for the many. It is even sometimes perversely argued that if the wealthy pay for access outside the public health system, that reduces demand for public care, freeing up space for others and, hey presto, magically everyone benefits from the increase in inequality. The Australian experience is that this magic does not work.