Well to begin with, the availability of free universal health care - like the NHS helps ensure a pretty competitive private healthcare market. For example, I k

Well to begin with, the availability of free universal health care - like the NHS helps ensure a pretty competitive private healthcare market. For example, I know that if my wife becomes pregnant or if there are complications we won't be hit with thousands or tens of thousands in medical bills on leaving the hospital. However on the flip side, it's very difficult to find a decent NHS dentist where we live, so we'll pay about £300-600 in dental checkups or dental work per annum. Just by having the NHS provide dental or any medical care there is downward pricing pressure on private competitors so however flawed a system like the NHS is it certainly has a very important pricing function even if you choose to go completely private.