Fifteen years ago, the then-National government dismantled our system of universal state-funded healthcare in favour of a "user pays" system. The fees did exactly what they were intended to do: stop people going to the doctor when they felt sick. And as a result we got a meningitis epidemic, and people ending up in A&E for serious problems that could have been caught and solved early if they'd been able to afford to see a doctor. The stupidity of this policy cannot be understated. Neither can the evil. People died because of it - something for which National has never apologised - and it should be remembered as an example of the insanity and viciousness and sheer inhumanity of their Market Darwinist vision.
Now, fifteen years later, the government has finally reversed this legacy of Ruthanasia, closing the last gap in primary health care by extending subsidies to 25 - 44 year olds. It's still not entirely free - that will take a few more years of budget surpluses - but its a hell of a lot cheaper than it was yesterday. And hopefully it means that now people will be able to afford to see a doctor when they get sick, rather than simply having to suffer.
