Critics of the U.S. health care system frequently point to other countries as models for reform. They point out that many countries spend far less on health care than the United States yet seem to enjoy better health outcomes. The United States should follow the lead of those countries, the critics say, and adopt a government- run, national health care system.
However, a closer look shows that nearly all health care systems worldwide are wrestling with problems of rising costs and lack of access to care. There is no single international model for national health care, of course. Countries vary dramatically in the degree of central control, regulation, and cost sharing they impose, and in the role of private insurance. Still, overall trends from national health care systems around the world suggest the following…
A recent Cato podcast discussed this new study very briefly. I’ve just downloaded the PDF, but not yet digested. An intriguing point made in the podcast is that Switzerland has a highly regarded system which is based entirely upon private insurance. And Switzerland spends about 2/3 of the U.S. level of 17% of GDP.
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