Ann Rogers of Swindon, Wilts, England won on appeal the right to drugs for treating her breast cancer. The treatment costs about £20,000 annually. The court held that the factors on which the government denied her treatment were irrational and did not prevent discriminatory treatment (of some patients but not others).
While this gets to the obvious problems with socialized medicine (low prices create an artificially high demand, meaning long lines or arbitrary denial of service, etc.), it also gets to the ultimate inability of any system to create equality. The British system attempts to provide medical treatment without reference to ability to pay for it. However, where that system fails, as it inevitably will, ultimately, only those with the money to afford effective lawyers will end up with treatment.
To paraphrase Enemy at the Gates' Danilov, "We tried so hard to create a society that was equal, where there'd be nothing to envy of your neighbour's. But there's always something to envy. Medicine, legal aide, something you don't have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a socialized one, there will always be rich and poor."
(article here)
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