Given the strong political decision and evidence-based design, such opposition could not exert
much power, while the UCS gained public support as it demonstrated tangible benefits to
members, such as better access and greater financial risk protection. As UCS beneficiaries
were mostly in rural areas, contractors are de facto public health care providers. They have
aligned themselves with these reforms, which have been consistent with nonprofit-orientation
and based on professional ethos for public services. The private sector and major hospitals
have resisted these changes, and have tried to gain control over the medical council and some
board member seats on the NHSB.