Which Country has the best Health Care System?

Question

Great Britain and Canada both provide universal single payer systems. Everyone has care that they pay for through taxes. There are NO uninsured patients. And cost is not really an issue. These systems also have downsides, disease survival rates, waiting times, shortages of medicine and medical technology, and quality of care and doctors all are major problems in both of these systems.

In France, Germany, and many other developed nations they have universal multipayer health care. Basically these systems have a large portion of Health Care costs covered by the government, they also have government insurance available to everyone, while also having a small private insurance market. These countries also have ups and downs. Quality and disease survival rates are not as big of issues, but they are still issues. Shortages also plague these systems
Finally, the US (my country) has a private Health Care system, with a good amount of government regulation and a robust safety net (which has gotten bigger due to the recent passage of "Obamacare". The US system undoubtedly has the best doctors, highest quality, shortest waiting times, best disease survival rates, most innovative medicine companies, and the best availability of medical technology. However, our system is VERY expensive. We have 46 million uninsured. We also have people who struggle to pay for medical care becuase they get dropped...

So, which one is best?

Answer 1

80% of Americans have the best in the world. 10% have health care a long the lines of Cananda, and 10% dont have any. The idea is to bring the bottom 20% up with the top 80% but unfortunately we in the US are taking the approach of bringing the top 80% down with the bottom 20%. Its a shame.

Answer 2

France.

Answer 3

first off, I don't think the U.S. undoubtedly has the best of all those things... it has the best of some of them...



like shortest wait times, have you ever looked at the wait times for U.S. care? there are studies that say it's not the best... conservatives just assume...



and best disease survival rates... after they are diagnosed maybe... but they are often found much latter due to the fact people don't want to go to the doctor... I don't think overall survival rates are better... in short, diseases are often found earlier in other nations... which makes them easier to treat... and cheaper...



and staph infection is a much bigger problem in U.S. hospitals than European ones... which is a concern about quality...



these "facts" you list are questioned by many in the international medical field...



all the medial statistics I've seen may have the U.S. leading in several areas... but not by much... and per person costs are usually about 50 percent more...



that doesn't sound like a good deal to me...

Answer 4

The US spends more on health care than any other country in the world. An amount equal to 18% of the Gross Domestic product. However according to the World Health Organization the US ranks 37th. Behind every other 'developed' country in the world. France ranks 1st, Canada is 30th and the United Kingdom is 18th. http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

The poorest percent of the population in France and Great Britain lives longer than the richest percent in the United States. Other factors affect this, like diet and lifestyle, but the fact remains the U.S. does NOT have the best health care in the world. Even Sarah Palin who is strongly against the recent "Obamacare" healthcare reform has admitted she ducks across the border into Canada for medical care for herself and her family.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/08/palin-crossed-border-for_n_490080.html

But Health care in the U.S. is a big money industry, and that quest for profit results in health care providers putting profit ahead of the welfare of people. It's why shelves are stocked with diet pills and e.d. treatments but we're still treating diabetes the same way for the last 30 years. The cost of the health care we receive is the big problem, people routienly pay $400 + a month for healthcare, and still have to worry about losing their insurance if they lose their jobs ( in France, your national insurance follows you and isn't tied to your job), or worse not being renewed because of a "pre-exsisting" condition. Another interesting fact about France, you have a co-pay equivalent to 20% of your bill, but if you're really sick for example Cancer, you pay nothing out of pocket...ever. Lastly more than half of all bankruptcies in the U.S. list the inability to pay medical bills as a contributing factor.

Answer 5

Accepting your descriptions, it appears that it depends on who you are! If you are an insured American, your health care is as good as anyone on the planet. However, the system of third party payments supports high costs, and nothing in our new program will combat that.



I actually think Japan may have the best value in public health care.

Answer 6

Good answer Marc. In the UK as well, treatment is purely on the basis of need - NOT on ability to pay. If you're ill you are treated. How much money or insurance you have is completely irrelevant.

Answer 7

Then why do all the rich people and leaders from other countries come to the US?

Answer 8

I might suggest that you try this internet site where onel can get rates from the best companies: http://insurancetocompare.info/index.html?src=5YArwfkwWA451



RE :Which Country has the best Health Care System?

Great Britain and Canada both provide universal single payer systems. Everyone has care that they pay for through taxes. There are NO uninsured patients. And cost is not really an issue. These systems also have downsides, disease survival rates, waiting times, shortages of medicine and medical technology, and quality of care and doctors all are major problems in both of these systems.



In France, Germany, and many other developed nations they have universal multipayer health care. Basically these systems have a large portion of Health Care costs covered by the government, they also have government insurance available to everyone, while also having a small private insurance market. These countries also have ups and downs. Quality and disease survival rates are not as big of issues, but they are still issues. Shortages also plague these systems

Finally, the US (my country) has a private Health Care system, with a good amount of government regulation and a robust safety net (which has gotten bigger due to the recent passage of "Obamacare". The US system undoubtedly has the best doctors, highest quality, shortest waiting times, best disease survival rates, most innovative medicine companies, and the best availability of medical technology. However, our system is VERY expensive. We have 46 million uninsured. We also have people who struggle to pay for medical care becuase they get dropped...



So, which one is best?

Update: Please Read my whole explaination, because I think some people just read the first part. I tried to give the pros and cons of all types of systems...

Update 2: Also, I'm not a single-payer advocate. I do think our system needed reform, and I was against the public option. In the end, I thought Obamacare (without the public option) was a reasonable reform.

Update 3: Also, I'm not a single-payer advocate. I do think our system needed reform, and I was against the public option. In the end, I thought Obamacare (without the public option) was a reasonable reform.

Follow 23 answers

Answer 9

Countries With Best Healthcare

Answer 10

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Answer 11

I don't know -- France is ranked the best and we are ranked on the bottom -- but we need to respect the idiots opinions too

Answer 12

Here's the ranking of the first 100, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1 France 2 Italy 3 San Marino 4 Andorra 5 Malta 6 Singapore 7 Spain 8 Oman 9 Austria 10 Japan 11 Norway 12 Portugal 13 Monaco 14 Greece 15 Iceland 16 Luxembourg 17 Netherlands 18 United Kingdom 19 Ireland 20 Switzerland 21 Belgium 22 Colombia 23 Sweden 24 Cyprus 25 Germany 26 Saudi Arabia 27 United Arab Emirates 28 Israel 29 Morocco 30 Canada 31 Finland 32 Australia 33 Chile 34 Denmark 35 Dominica 36 Costa Rica 37 United States of America 38 Slovenia 39 Cuba 40 Brunei 41 New Zealand 42 Bahrain 43 Croatia 44 Qatar 45 Kuwait 46 Barbados 47 Thailand 48 Czech Republic 49 Malaysia 50 Poland 51 Dominican Republic 52 Tunisia 53 Jamaica 54 Venezuela 55 Albania 56 Seychelles 57 Paraguay 58 South Korea 59 Senegal 60 Philippines 61 Mexico 62 Slovakia 63 Egypt 64 Kazakhstan 65 Uruguay 66 Hungary 67 Trinidad and Tobago 68 Saint Lucia 69 Belize 70 Turkey 71 Nicaragua 72 Belarus 73 Lithuania 74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 75 Argentina 76 Sri Lanka 77 Estonia 78 Guatemala 79 Ukraine 80 Solomon Islands 81 Algeria 82 Palau 83 Jordan 84 Mauritius 85 Grenada 86 Antigua and Barbuda 87 Libya 88 Bangladesh 89 Macedonia 90 Bosnia-Herzegovina 91 Lebanon 92 Indonesia 93 Iran 94 Bahamas 95 Panama 96 Fiji 97 Benin 98 Nauru 99 Romania 100 Saint Kitts and Nevis

Answer 13

I vote for Germany but I doubt their system would work in the U.S. because instead of telling the insurance industry what they're going to do for us, they're allowed to dictate what they want us to do for them. In most other countries of the world, the economy is still expected to work with the other parts of society for the benefit of the nation. In the U.S. every other part of society must work for the good of the economy. It hasn't always been this way and it's too bad we can't go back to a time when American citizens and their government had more value than they do now.



The U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate of any first world country. We have the longest times for getting lab test results back to doctors. We have the worst record for incorporating technology into medical record keeping. We have poorer than expected survival rates for some things like cancer because so many of our population has no health insurance, gets no regular medical care and doesn't see a doctor until the disease is well-established and very difficult to treat.



We're also the only country in the world where businesses have to figure health care insurance costs into the prices of the goods and services they produce. Yes, in other countries the higher taxes paid in for medical coverage also have to be calculated as part of the cost but, because everyone participates, the risk pool is huge and the costs borne by each taxpayer including businesses are much less than what the average American business pays in premiums.

Answer 14

Actually your question " Who has the best health care system" has nothing to do with who's covered, but everything to do with the health care its self. So, when you look at people from around the world ( Yes even france,Canada & great Britain) come to the USA for the best in treatment. Its America hands down!

Now if you are talking about who has the best no pay coverage, you have to look at Australia as being one of the best!

Answer 15

Japan, except they have a straight up welfare state, and it's difficult for them to prevent citizens from overusing it.



If I could adopt a system for the US to copy without adjusting it I would choose Germany. Mandatory health coverage with competition between government and private industries. It sounds very American, and the Germans seem to like it.

Answer 16

If you say for the ones who can afford it, or are lucky enough to have good medical insurance, I do believe it is the USA



I think of the ones that take care of everyone regardless of ability to pay one of the northern European countries, but I'm not sure. I think under that same measurement we are around number 32

Answer 17

The USA before Obammycare.

You can make an appointment less than 4 months out.

Everyone was treated in the ER regardless of insurance or ability to pay.

People from those Countries you named came here to have operations.

Still we have problems. Cash payer pays less than and insurance Co. for same care.

Malpractice insurance is way out of line. driving other cost sky rocketing.

Answer 18

Canada

Answer 19

Canada

Answer 20

The U.S. until Obama care kicks in.

Answer 21

The United States. Without our research and development, the other countries would still be in the dark ages as far as Technology and medications go.

Answer 22

The U.S. does.



You come into a hospital and you get the best care in the world, even if they know you can't pay a dime for it. It's the law.



Beat that every other nation.

Answer 23

You get the best medical care in the US. Hands down.

Answer 24

None of them!!!