Idealistic priorities

Doctors etc would prioritise health spending on the young and prevention but this isn't reflected in actual spending. An international survey is summarised at NCPA;

The values expressed by the health professionals in the study transcended national and sectoral boundaries, say the authors. Yet this preference is at odds with the actual spending priorities in most countries throughout the world--most governments spend more on curative than on preventive health care services.

Well of course they do. Immediate health needs should take priority. And most health systems have little left for prevention. Having paid taxes all your life and desperately needing a hip replacement, how would you feel if the money was diverted into anti-smoking initiatives? In my limited experience many health professionals have divorced the funding from the patient. They see funding as govt spending rather than tax-payer spending.

Which is why as much of the health system as possible should be private. People should have private health savings accounts which would enable the doctor to clearly see it isn't his money to prioritise. It is his patients.