Healthcare Systems can dramatically vary from one country to another around the Globe. Different countries adhere to different models and mixed systems that fit the country’s values and norms. Depending on several prevailing factors that include societal, cultural, and geographical ones, countries will abide by/use different healthcare systems. This page is merely a brief description of the three basic models that serve as the baseline for the other altered models that exist today around the world.

The Public Model

This model is dubbed the “Public” model as it is dependent on taxation from individuals within the society. Services are provided by the government through the form of a National Health Services through Hospitals, clinics, public Healthcare providers, etc. Governments that use this model essentially give Healthcare a set budget that is competed for with other things such as education. Though this model is a “Public” one, it is not entirely public. Different countries can have different services that are not provided for through tax money. For example, though Canada is based on the Beveridge Model, some health services such as cosmetic surgery, dental work, and pharmaceutical drugs- to name a few- are not provided for through tax money. Therefore, it would not be correct to name any country to be fully “Public” as some variations occur. The countries that use the Beveridge Model as their baseline are:

• UK, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Canada.

The Mixed Model

This model allows for more flexibility in terms of spending on Healthcare to exist. Essentially, this model is funded through financed social/mandatory insurance. These insurance plans are funded by both employees and employers. They must include all citizens living in the country and companies providing these insurance plans do not make any profit. The result is a mix of private and public healthcare providers with Doctors and Hospitals mainly being private based. Countries under this model spend more of their GNP on healthcare compared to their Beveridge Model counterparts. This model is a mixed model that does not leave any citizen without an insurance plan. Some of the countries following this model include:

• Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, and Benelux.

The Private Insurance Model

This model as the name implies funds healthcare through different private insurance companies that provide differing health premiums. The majority of the healthcare providers that exist in this system are under the private sector with the exception of Medicare and Medicaid. According to the article cited below, this model only truly exists in its pure form in the US. The US and other countries using this model spend more of their GNP on healthcare compared both their Beveridge and Bismarck counterparts.

References:

• https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/14/suppl_6/3/1829904 : 

Lameire, N., Joffe, P., & Wiedemann, M. (1999). Healthcare systems—an international review: an overview. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 14(suppl_6), 3-9.

• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92576-9_34 :

Kos, M. (2019). Introduction to Healthcare Systems. In The Pharmacist Guide to Implementing Pharmaceutical Care (pp. 437-441). Springer, Cham.