Comparing Health Care Systems

Abstract

From a societal point of view, it is difficult to determine whether a centralized or decentralized health system is superior. A normative statement of that kind entails substantial value judgments and trade-offs. No two health care systems are identical, although many share characteristics that allow us to develop typologies which are useful in analysis of any particular system. Third parties make the health care system much more complex because the source of third-party financing and the method of reimbursement must be worked into the model. The Socialized Health Insurance Program (SI) in Germany is based on government mandated financing by employers and employees. The essential features of the Canadian health care system are national insurance, free choice of health care provider, private production of medical services, and regulated global budgets and fees for health care providers. The United States health care system is the expensive in the world but under-performs relative to many peer countries on most dimensions of performance.