Healthcare can be graded by considering multiple factors, however, there are factors that are more vital than others. Affordability and coverage are two of the main factors to consider when deciding which countries have the best healthcare.
Affordability, however, isn't a big issue in a number of major countries as healthcare is provided by the government for free. But, regardless of it being free, major countries also have private insurers that sell more comprehensive healthcare coverage. Coverage, in this case, refers to the doctors, hospitals, and treatments the healthcare plan covers. This varies from country to country and is even different between major countries themselves.
This Pacific Prime article will look at four major countries that are considered to be leaders in the healthcare world. Those countries include Switzerland, Germany, Britain, and France. These nations are well-known for their healthcare plans even though their systems are fairly different from one another.
Switzerland finds the balance
Switzerland arguably has the best healthcare the countries mentioned in the paragraph above. What makes their healthcare so great is their ability to find the correct balance between public and private insurance plans. On top of that, like the rest of the countries listed, Switzerland also enforces the universal healthcare system. This is a system which requires every citizen to have some form of a healthcare plan. Insurers are non-profit organizations that also offer for-profit options. The non-profit options cover the majority, however, the for-profit option includes special treatments and a wider choice of where the policyholder can go for care
Switzerland also has over 100 insurers with their own variation in packages, thus allowing citizens to be spoiled for choice. The aspect that makes Switzerland stand out even more is that regardless of having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, they have spent only a fraction on health expenditure per capita compared to the other major nations.
Forbes (2011)
Germany's income-based system
Germany's main source of health insurance comes from the national public system which is funded by employers and employees. On top of that, the government also offers subsidies based on income and its capped at about $65,000. Other than it being capped for people with low income the subsidies are reduced for people with chronic illness, while not being available for children. However, there are a few citizens that chose to go with a private insurance plan but those that do aren't qualified for subsidies but premiums are regulated.
The main cog in Germany's system is income; those who can pay more may choose to do so and those that can't afford to pay get subsidized. This system also allows a variety of choices in terms of doctors and hospitals.
Britain's social approach
Britain's health insurance is provided by the National Health Service. The system is government funded through tax-payer money and most services are even free. The government provides for around 80% of people, while the rest are on a private insurance plan. The private plans are usually offered as employee benefits perks from employers and give the advantage of seeing a specialist and not having to be on a waiting list.
According to a Time article on the National Health Service, Britain's takes a truly-socialized approach to healthcare. This is due to its system of having a single payer and a funder, in this case, the government being the single-payer while funds coming from the taxpayer. This is considered the closest one can get to fairness, in terms of healthcare.
France mixes it up
Healthcare in France is monitored by the Ministry of Health and paid for by taxpayers. There is public insurance that gets you the majority of coverage you need. Additional to that there's voluntary health insurance which covers the remainder, usually provided by employers to an employee. The majority of the population, however, has voluntary health insurance.
The Ministry of Health plays a major role in France's healthcare setup as it's their responsibility to set up budgets, control the number of hospital beds, decide the types of equipment to purchase and regulate the number of students trained. On top of that, it is also their job to set prices for hospital procedures and medicine.
If given a closer look, the French system seems like a mix of Switzerland and Britain's healthcare systems. This is due to Switzerland's regulations governing that everyone must buy health insurance, and its setup of having small nonprofit funds providing the healthcare. On the other hand, it is also similar to Britain's healthcare system due to the similarities between the Ministry of Health and the National Public System.
Criteria to be the best healthcare system in the world
So, what does it take to be the best provider of healthcare? According to the industry leading nations mentioned in this article, to be the among the best you must make sure all citizens are taken care of. On top of that, the government or private organizations must monitor the state of healthcare regularly and provide regulations to help maintain the system. Lastly, accessibility is key -the more hospitals and services a healthcare system provides the better it is. Healthcare is essential to a nation, as it provides its citizens with security and comfort.
To secure coverage today, contact Pacific Prime and get in touch with our health insurance experts to get a quote and some expert advice.