Ailing Health Plan

Britain's womb-to-tomb National Health Service is in the red again. Last week Chancellor of the Exchequer Derick Heath-coat-Amory gave Commons the bad news: individual contributions will be upped, on July i, as much as 37%.

Before the N.H.S. was launched in 1948, optimists estimated that it would cost $490 million a year; of this, $355 million would come from general tax funds, the balance from individual contributions of up to about 20-c- a week. But the estimates proved woefully low.

Total costs have rocketed to an estimated $2 billion for the next fiscal year. To raise even one-fifth of this whopping bill (four-fifths will still come from taxes), the Chancellor set these new weekly rates: for employed men, 7-c- more, for a total of 26-c-; employed women, 5-c-more, total 19-c-; employed juveniles (under 18), 2-c- more, total 12-c-. In addition, employers' fees will go up from 4-c- per worker to 6-c-. For children not yet employed, the rate goes up 2-c- to a total of 16-c-.

The Socialists promptly blasted the government for laying the added burden on the whole population, meaning that most of it would be borne by the well. Deliberately so, said Heathcoat-Amory: the government believed this was fairer than putting a still heavier burden on the sick, who are least able to bear it.

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