Achieving Universal Health Care. Different Countries. Different Approaches...

May 7, 2021, 3:12 PM

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2024/rethinking-health-care-global-perspective-looking-abroad

They highlighted 7 countries, each which took a different path to UHC. Some are single-payer, but some are not. And some of them use private insurance extensively. The main feature that's common is that everyone is in the system with coverage, and it's compulsory, and governments subsidize so that no one is left out. These countries all cover their entire population, and it's cheaper than the US, and their citizens' health is generally good. From the link:

Switzerland entirely eliminates government entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid; everyone is on private insurance from birth to death. Plans are tightly regulated and decoupled from employment. Out-of-pocket expenses are relatively high to combat the moral hazard (i.e., people are more likely to spend an insurance company’s money than their own), but the system ensures everyone has some coverage. The private insurance market is highly competitive, with more than 60 insurers offering basic health insurance. Insurers cannot earn profits from basic insurance but can offer supplemental insurance for additional services and amenities.

In Singapore, the government provides catastrophic coverage, ensuring significant health crises don’t lead to financial disasters. This crucial safety net offers citizens peace of mind; outpatient care is primarily funded out of pocket by individuals. To facilitate this, Singapore has mandatory health savings accounts. Every working individual contributes a portion of their income to this account, which can then be used to cover routine medical expenses. Singapore’s hospital care system is tiered, allowing patients to choose the level of service they desire. At the base level, services are offered at a minimal cost, ensuring that everyone has access to essential care regardless of their financial situation. Higher tiers are available at an additional cost for those who desire more amenities or quicker access to services.

Canada has a single-payer system. The country’s Medicare system is funded mainly through general taxation, and the federal government sets national standards for health care in all provinces. The provincial and territorial governments, however, are responsible for managing, organizing, and delivering health care services for residents. Medicare covers all medically necessary services provided by hospitals, physicians, and dentists but does not include prescription drugs, eye care, or dentistry for adults.

Australia’s system functions much like Canada’s if people stay within the public delivery
system. However, it differs from Canada in that patients can opt for a private system; doing so incurs costs. This dual approach allows people to choose better access based on their needs and willingness to pay more. The public system, also known as Medicare, covers most of the costs of hospital and physician services and some preventive and community health services. It’s funded by general taxation, a specific income-based tax, and copayments by those seeking care. About one-third of Australians have private health insurance. Such insurance can provide access to private hospitals and specialists and cover services not included in Medicare, such as dental care, optical care, and physiotherapy.

New Zealand’s system is like Australia’s but with unique features, such as a stronger focus on community-based care and public health initiatives. This approach aims to reduce the burden on hospitals and provide more holistic care. The public system offers universal coverage for a range of services, including hospital care, primary care, prescription drugs, mental health care, and disability support services. The system is funded mainly by general taxation and copayments. A private system also plays a supplementary role by offering faster access to elective surgery and specialist consultations, as well as covering services not funded by the public system, like dental care and cosmetic surgery. About one-third of New Zealanders have private health insurance.

In France, the insurance provided by the statutory system sets a good baseline for all, but people are encouraged to spend more if they wish. The public system, known as Social Security, covers most of the costs for hospitals, physicians, long-term care, and prescription drugs. The system is funded primarily by payroll taxes, a national income tax, and tax levies on specific industries and products. The government sets the national health strategy and allocates budgeted expenditures to regional health agencies responsible for planning and service delivery. Patients are responsible for coinsurance, copayments, and balance bills for physician charges that exceed covered fees. However, almost all citizens have supplemental insurance to help with these out-of-pocket costs and dental, hearing, and vision care. Private insurers provide this supplemental insurance, most of them nonprofit.

In England, the National Health Service (NHS) provides health care to all residents, covering hospital, physician, and mental health care without any cost at the point of care. The NHS is funded mainly through general taxation, and the government sets a global budget for health spending. This global budget allocates resources to health services and trusts responsible for local planning and care delivery. There are trade-offs in terms of wait times and sometimes even quality. Still, this approach effectively removes financial barriers to care and eliminates any risk of health care–related bankruptcies.

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Remember when Ibama had promised that ObamaCare would never cover non-citizens in America?

Just like ‘if you like your doctor, then you can keep your doctor,’ that was a bald faced lie (of omission).

Both were lies of omission because there was no unchangeable language in either aspect that could not be easily changed at the whim of the government.

Thus, ‘universal healthcare’ in the USA is simply another scheme to redistribute wealth from Americans who are / had contributed to the healthcare to various categories of people who had never contributed anything.

(*). For any nation to have a potentially sustainable form of universal healthcare, the freeloaders need to be kept to a minimum.

Achieving Universal Health Care. Different Countries. Different Approaches...

All leads to Bankruptcy***

Or Not.***

Re: Achieving Universal Health Care unsustainable for the USA

I remember Republicans....

The taxpayer money we are spending on Obummacre is about right where

The ACA was knee-capped by SCOTUS and then by congress....

Re: Achieving Universal Health Care. Different Countries. Different Approaches...

You're right. Making sure your population has access to healthcare...

Re: Achieving Universal Health Care. Different Countries. Different Approaches...

Re: Achieving Universal Health Care. Different Countries. Different Approaches...

All of those countries spend far less than the US/capita....

How many uninsured have you bought a policy for?***

I'm a taxpayer, so I've helped pay for subsidies that go to....

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