A new poll shows that public support for government spending on health care has increased significantly since before the economic and financial collapse of 2008. In 2006 81.5% of Icelanders wanted the government to spend more on health care, while 16.5% felt spending was adequate. Today 91% believe the government should spend more on health care, while only 1.3% feel spending is adequate.
At the same time the poll finds that the vast majority believes hospitals and health care centres should be government run. The majority also believes that children‘s dental care should be government run.
No support for privatization
Recently members of the Conservative Independence Party and some commentators have argued for privatization and increased involvement by private companies in health care. Rúnar Vilhjálmsson, a professor in Sociology at the University of Iceland, who conducted the survey, tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the survey shows there is very little support for privatization in the health care system.
We cannot see support for the view that health care should increasingly be handled by private parties. Quite the contrary, we are seeing an increased support for public and government involvement and commitment to the provision of health care services.“
Government criticized for intentionally defunding health care to make it ripe for privatization
Opposition politicians, including Pirate party member Jón Þór Ólafsson, recently told Iceland Insider in an interview, that he believes the ruling coalition is intentionally de-funding hospitals and the health care system and refusing to approve necessary pay-rises for nurses and health care professionals in an attempt to weaken the system to prepare it for privatization.
“What made me especially uncomfortable was the realization how far the governing coalition [made up of the Conservative and Progressive parties] were willing to go towards the brink when it comes to the healthcare system. All polls show that over 90% of Icelandic voters want to prioritize healthcare when it comes to the budget, and that the government should spend more to ensure top quality healthcare. But they were willing to go to the brink, again and again, risking the future of the system.
And this made me wonder: Why would they willing to risk all this political capital, if not because they have some other agenda? And we all know they have been talking about the privatization of the healthcare system. So, that seems like a likely explanation for all that brinkmanship.
A new poll shows that public support for government spending on health care has increased significantly since before the economic and financial collapse of 2008. In 2006 81.5% of Icelanders wanted the government to spend more on health care, while 16.5% felt spending was adequate. Today 91% believe the government should spend more on health care, while only 1.3% feel spending is adequate.
At the same time the poll finds that the vast majority believes hospitals and health care centres should be government run. The majority also believes that children‘s dental care should be government run.
No support for privatization
Recently members of the Conservative Independence Party and some commentators have argued for privatization and increased involvement by private companies in health care. Rúnar Vilhjálmsson, a professor in Sociology at the University of Iceland, who conducted the survey, tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the survey shows there is very little support for privatization in the health care system.
We cannot see support for the view that health care should increasingly be handled by private parties. Quite the contrary, we are seeing an increased support for public and government involvement and commitment to the provision of health care services.“
Government criticized for intentionally defunding health care to make it ripe for privatization
Opposition politicians, including Pirate party member Jón Þór Ólafsson, recently told Iceland Insider in an interview, that he believes the ruling coalition is intentionally de-funding hospitals and the health care system and refusing to approve necessary pay-rises for nurses and health care professionals in an attempt to weaken the system to prepare it for privatization.
“What made me especially uncomfortable was the realization how far the governing coalition [made up of the Conservative and Progressive parties] were willing to go towards the brink when it comes to the healthcare system. All polls show that over 90% of Icelandic voters want to prioritize healthcare when it comes to the budget, and that the government should spend more to ensure top quality healthcare. But they were willing to go to the brink, again and again, risking the future of the system.
And this made me wonder: Why would they willing to risk all this political capital, if not because they have some other agenda? And we all know they have been talking about the privatization of the healthcare system. So, that seems like a likely explanation for all that brinkmanship.
