AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/glossary/moral-hazard
Moral hazard
Moral hazard is the tendency to take more risks, or use more of a service, when someone else bears the cost.
Summary
- The term comes from insurance.
- In health policy it is the argument that care which is free at the point of use will be used more than care people pay for directly.
- Charges are one response to it. Prescriptions carry a charge in England for patients who do not qualify for an exemption.
- The counter argument is that charges put off the people who most need care.
Interview questions
- Should patients be charged for missing a GP appointment?
- Does free healthcare encourage people to take less care of themselves?
- Why might a government charge for prescriptions and not for seeing a GP?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.