The National Health scheme in England is unique and the envy of many countries around the world. Anyone living in England who is ill or has an accident can visit the doctor or hospital and receive medical care without having to pay. This is because the National Health scheme is funded by people paying a national insurance stamp which is deducted together with tax from their wages. For many people, however, particularly professional sports people such as baseball players, private health insurance (Private Krankenversicherung) is also necessary. Professional sports players stand a much greater risk of an accident often resulting in broken bones leaving them unable to work for long periods. In some cases they may be left with a disability (Berufsunfähigkeit) making it impossible to play sport again. This has happened to many baseball players, footballers, jockeys and boxers. By taking out private health insurance they are able to be admitted to a private clinic and get immediate treatment. For any one who suffers a disability which often makes it impossible to ever work again, they will be able to claim a large amount of money from the healthcare (http://www.healthcare.org) insurance which will help them with their living costs.

It is just as important to have private health insurance for people doing dangerous jobs where there is a high risk of an accident, as being on the waiting list for admittance to a National Health hospital can often take months. Private clinics can usually admit people straight away and patients can be back at work much sooner. Some people might be left with a permanent disability and need to change the job that they would normally do for a job which is less physical and demanding. Broken bones take a long time to heal and someone might be unable to work for a few months. Not many people can afford to take out private health insurance and will have to wait their turn before they can be treated at a National Health hospital. In other countries people have no choice they have to pay for medical care when visiting the doctor or being admitted to hospital. In England anyone suffering from a disability which makes them unable to work will get paid an allowance to help with their everyday needs.

Without private clinics waiting lists on the National Health hospitals would be even longer and sports people could be waiting months before receiving the medical care they need. Urgent accidents are always dealt with immediately but anyone, whose injuries need surgery, will have to wait. Private clinics can admit people for operations straight away and sports people like baseball players and footballers will soon be back to good health. The surgeons who carry out the operations at private clinics also work the for National Health so anyone who is admitted will probably have the same surgeon as they would have done at a National Health hospital. Some private facilities even have dedicated retirement provisions (Altersvorsorge) , so that retired sports people can get the very best in care even when they have ceased their professional career. In a private clinic patients will have their own private room with television, DVD and telephone. Families are able to visit anytime and nurses provide more individual care. A lot of sports people will have the costs of private medical care covered by the club they play for and often the club will have its own physiotherapist and nurses on hand to deal with any immediate injuries.