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What Countries Have Universal Health Care?
A few nights ago, I watched Michael Moore's new documentary, SiCKO, which focuses its crosshair on the health care industry in the United States. At one point in the movie, Mr. Moore claims that the United States is the only "westernized" country without universal health care. Is that true?First, what does he mean by "westernized"? Defining the "western world" can be subjective, and definitions will vary depending on what criteria is used. Are you defining it from a cultural standpoint? Political? Economical? Perhaps this is why Mr. Moore felt comfortable making such a broad generalization. Is it even possible to truly define what the "western world" really is?
Okay, forget the western world. (I think I know what he meant anyway.) What countries on our good green Earth provide some sort of universal health care for their citizens? Here they are:
Countries in blue have some type of universal health care. Countries in green are currently attempting to implement some type of universal health care. Orange countries have universal health coverage provided by United States war funding. Source. Click to enlarge.
Afghanistan*, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq*, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the United Kingdom
*Universal health coverage provided by United States war funding
There you go. Keep in mind: this is a simple list of countries that have some sort of publicly sponsored health care system. For instance, Sri Lanka may be far from having a true, working universal health care system like France, but prescription drugs are provided by a government-owned drug manufacturer. This qualifies as "some sort of publicly sponsored, universal health care system."
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 11)
VG MD Feb 8th 2009 9:18PM
I am a physician and let me summarize our lives for you.....80 hour work weeks, atleast a quarter of a million in loans before you get a job, more than 100% divorce rate in some fields, frivolous law suits by blood sucking lawyers, malpractice insurance to settle these suits out of court (even though there is no chance that the plaintiff would actually win but the cost of pursuing would be higher than to just "pay off"), 10-13% paycuts every year and increasing, more and more expensive drugs hitting the markets every year with a molecule tweaked here and there so that the drug company has a new lease on a patent, and more than half of your patients who can't afford to buy their meds....the system in US is fucking insane. As a physician I have NO CONTROL on any of this.....next time you happen to see a malpractice attorney or a drug company CEO.......thank them for our health care system.
SUE Feb 9th 2009 9:48PM
WHAT HAS PLACED THIS COUNTRY IN THE STATE IT IS IN IS DUE TO PURE UNADULTERATED GREED. YOU HAVE ALL WITNESSED IT WITH BANKS, CAR COMPANIES, AND CEO'S MAKING INSANE AMOUNTS OF MONEY. THE CORUPTION IN GOVENMENT IS SNOWBALLING. DOES ANY ONE THINK THESE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE INNOCENT OF THE SAME TACTICS. DO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO OFFER ANY THING TO YOUR CHILDREN. IT IS TIME FOR FLIGHT OR FIGHT. WE NEED TO RENOUNCE CITIZENSHIP AND MOVE OR START THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WHAT EVER IT TAKES. I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING I WOULD RATHER TAKE MY CHANCES STANDING STRONG WITH OUR EVERYDAY HEROS THAN SIDING WITH THOSE BIG WIMPS THAT CAN'T LIVE ON LESS THAN 120,000,000 DOLLARS A YEAR.
Robert Feb 20th 2009 11:02PM
This is one agenda with the American system that really makes me sick to my stomach. To myself and many others a nation is judged by how well it takes care of it's citizens,and America overall is only interested in the almighty dollar. America's God is money which is why "In God We Trust" is printed on it. I hate to say that about my country,but it couldn't be more true. People are way to self involved to worry about anyone else as long as they can keep taxes down with more God,oh sorry money in their pocket. We're trillions in debt over something very unnecessary that we could have kept here to implement some sort of system for everyone. How can you call yourself a christian and not think that healthcare is a right? I guess that's only something Christ would do. The funny thing is I'm not anywhere near religious or even believe in a supreme being,but I care more for people than most hypocrites who do believe.
Jeff Feb 23rd 2009 3:38PM
I Agree..See im a Christian Myself but i also have opinions like urself. it's crazy how in the Dollar bills they say "in god we trust" but if you think about it, (My opinion, Correct me if you think im wrong.) Jesus Was a Communist. Nothing bad, just saying he basically was. he wanted the rich to give to the poor, the needy, to become a better person. what im stating is that, if these dollar bills acually mean "in god we trust" then we would acually use our bills to pay taxes for Universal Health Care, which is the right thing to do. President Nixon Declined Universal Health Care at that time, and Wanted a Private Health Care, to Tax people so that The nation Can run on Money, So that People in the Health care can get more money and pay more taxes...But look now, they're rich beyond their wildest dream and now America is now in a Ressecion (Forgive me For my spelling.)
Imagine The U.S With Universal Health Care...*sighs* What a Deam...
sadinamerica Feb 27th 2009 10:30AM
Interesting posts, here are a few thoughts on how the current healthcare system in the US has impacted our economy.
Unemployment is growing at a faster rate than any other time since the great depression. The expense of healthcare has had a direct impact on our economy by slowing job creation and increasing the prices of our goods and services.
First, any business owner/CEO whether small business or large industry will tell you that one of the largest expenses on their books is the cost of subsidizing healthcare benefits for their employees. Unfortunately these costs do not rise incrementally with the CPI. Annually they see increases of 15-25%. In some instances these costs outweight material purchases made for production of goods. I do not know any employer that would not prefer to use this money to hire additional employees or re-invest in hard goods for production or be able to be increasingly competitive by offering their goods at lower prices. Higher expenses drive the cost of goods and services. These expenses are also one of the many factors that have resulted in jobs being outsourced to developing countries such as Mexico and India.
Also, we have a whole generation of baby boomers that are at retirement age but hang onto their employment for one reason only, they can't afford to pay for health insurance without a having a job to subsidize it. Medicare and Medicaid still do not cover expensive and necessary medications that an aging population needs. These folks who have traditionally retired and opened their jobs to a younger generation are no longer able to move through this process.
We have all heard big talk about how badly we need small business to thrive. health insurance premiums are a major obstacle for self-employed individuals that are trying to build a business. Insurance premiums for a family of four are more than most family's mortgage payment.
As unemployment increases the number of uninsured citizens will increase creating massive burdens on our healthcare system. COBRA is a joke, yes you have continued coverage but the premiums for a family of four are more than the unemployment benefits a family can receive in any state. Again, in most cases COBRA coverage costs more than your monthly mortgage payment. The government knows this as fact which I am assuming was the reasoning for subsidizing COBRA as of March 1st.
Remember, as more citizens can no longer pay the premiums, the uninsured will always do what they've had to, wait until any medical condition becomes unbearable and increasingly expensive to treat. Emergency rooms become clogged, bills remain unpaid and the cost is absorbed by the system and passed on to the general population through increased premiums and taxes. There will never be a hospital or insurance company that will readily eat the expense and not pass it on to the consumer.
To step away from the health insurance issue for a moment - there has been alot of talk on this blog about us and them, welfare recipients, etc. What you need to remember is that that no man is an island. The prosperity of each of our citizens depends on the prosperity of all of our citizens.
Take note of what is happening in the auto industry. Thousands of jobs were moved out of the country affecting millions of employees and small American businesses. Product is bought from a developing Communist country at the expense of our countrymen. GM had a better bottom line and investors were happy. What GM and the rest of the profiteers forgot was those dollars they saved to increase their bottom line were the very dollars that their customers needed to earn in order to purchase their vehicles. Now they can't sell a thing and at least two of the big three will probably bite the dust. No man prospers alone.
Next time you wonder what brought us to this crisis consider the greed by individuals and the good ol boy club that caters to huge lobbyist interests (one of the strongest is the health insurance industry). There are no poor politicians!!!!!
Jeanette Apr 1st 2009 12:06PM
Sad in America: You are 100% right and I am completely behind you.
Cost of insurance through employers or individuals also is raised every year because of the continual cost increase of Hospital equipment being made in china, india, etc. Its increased every year for the hundreds of people that are the so called "Bums" of America that get emergency room treatment and skip out of town never paying the bill.
To all those who don't want to pay for the "bums"; You ALREADY are......who do you think eats the unpaid medical expenses? The working citizens of america.
I used to work for a Debt collection Agency...I collected major credit card debt from people all over the US, would you like to know the number 1 reason for their debt? Medical expenses. I don't know how many peoples' Credit Reports I looked at on a DAILY basis that 80% of their debt had to do with medical bills. Half the time, people opened credit cards just to get medications, pay for a procedure that wasn't covered, or pay the hospital for back procedures so that they could continue to get check ups.
Would you like to know what that means for the rest of the country's citizens? It means higher apr on credit cards, it means higher rates on mortgages and higher rates on cars....you still think you aren't already paying for the "bums"? Take a look at what created them in the first place....the REAL bums, who sit in thousand dollar suits, drive hundred thousand dollar cars, live in million dollar homes, smoke $500 cigars, drink $2-3,000 bottles of wine, and just watch as you pay them to sit on their ass and get fatter and richer.
Everything in the economy is connected, you don't think so? Go back to school, or maybe you can't afford it here in the US. Most of Europe has universal healthcare and education ask them if they're willing to help their "bums".
oshea Feb 28th 2009 10:23PM
I can't believe some of the comments on here! Even if you don't care about other people dying because they cannot afford healthcare you cannot argue that the system we are in is working better than any country with universal healthcare. I have Kaiser through my job with no co-pay and I still have to worry that if I happen to be in the wrong place injured or sick I could die because of the system we are in. I guess I should just only go places within a few miles of a Kaiser. Additionally my great health insurance won't even get a lump in my breast checked because I am not over 40. Who should decide that for me??????? Beyond that our healthcare system makes me a slave to my job. I can't consider taking another job if it doesn't have healthcare and the money that my job spends to get me this coverage just stops them from being able to hire more employees or increase my pay.
It's pretty silly that anyone would attach universal healthcare for a wait time when we have to wait now. I can't see my doctor anytime, it takes weeks to get an appointment and when I do I only see the doctor for a few minutes. I talk to my doctors about the healthcare system and they are not happy either. They became doctors so that they could actually help people not be part of an assembly line that tosses people out on the streets.
If you are afraid of socialized healthcare do the research and find out what is really happening here!
Bruce Deile Mar 1st 2009 6:20PM
U.S. is only country with no pahrmaceutical price cap. We seldom see that being cited as a large part of the problem. And Obama most likely will not implement one as part of his "reform".
jimarmd Mar 1st 2009 10:49PM
I am a family physician and work in publicly funded clinics in the US. The map presented here is a complete misrepresentation of the truth.
I have worked in some capacity (med student, resident, even school teacher) in four countries that are gray in the map given. These countries are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Nicaragua. Nicaragua absolutely had universal (aka nationalized or socialized) health care and one could walk into any government hospital or clinic and receive care, free of charge. Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe had government-sponsored systems and one may have to pay a minimal "copay" (the equivalent of perhaps a dime or quarter) but that would cover the total cost of care, whether one was sent home or spent many days in the hospital. The point is that the cost of providing care to people in these countries is born by the government and these should be colored blue. Truth be told, nearly every other country in the world has some for of socialized medicine to cover ALL citizens.
FYI:
The last time the WHO ranked countries health care systems, the United States was ranked #37, barely ahead of Cuba and well behind several countries with socialized medicine. When they focused on inner cities and rural areas in the US (i.e. excluding the well-cared-for suburbs and mid to upper class neighborhoods), we would do even worse.
We do have a health-care crisis in this country and the ONLY solution is a single-payer system. Any reform that does not include this is simply a further denial of the truth. Pull your heads out of the sand.
Travis Mar 2nd 2009 11:55PM
Why in the world do you people think that the United States government can do anything more efficiently than the private sector? Can you name anything that the government does cheaper or better than private companies? You should check out some facts on medicare fraud before you propose this as an answer to our health care issues. There are issues with our current system and the fault is shared by insurance companies, hospital facilities, labor groups, and individuals. But turning it all over to a wasteful government who's never held accountable for anything without doing anything to control costs will only lead to a huge mess. Either costs will become out of control and cripple the government (or individuals with sky high taxes) or care will have to be rationed.
The truth is, many people in countries with socialized health care are actually paying higher taxes for the health care and then either paying for a private insurance plan or going to private practices to get the care they need.
The bottom line is that this is a plan that will cost a fortune while leaving a few people slightly better off and a large majority of people worse off. There are many better options.
SirConundrum Mar 8th 2009 3:08AM
Has anybody ever wondered why the United States is the only global power left in the world NOT to have universal healthcare? Could it be the money that the all the medical companies will lose? All the politicians that can't get paid off or have their integrity bought? Will it bankrupt our economy and will the government cease to exist and cease to run? I highly doubt the latter part of that. We already pay for healthcare in the taxes that go to the Fed so why not put it toward healthcare in the first place? The problem is that we still have the thought of fear in the back of our minds. If America is the country of getting things done through hardship, they why can't we figure this one out? Sure, it won't be perfect. But the richest country in the world has no excuse not to take care of its own citizens when, it seems, we have plenty of money to establish universal care for Afghanistan and Iraq. (Countries we shouldnt even be in in the first place)Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Until the politicians pull their head out of their ass and the American people actually make them pull their head out of their ass, we'll never be the greatest country on the face of the planet that we, as Americans think we are. I'd more happy with the title of taking care of those that cant take care of themselves then hearing "God Bless America" all the fucking time. This country needs to up, get with the times that we live in and move on. With everything else that has been socialized in this country why are we still scared about socializing healthcare? I just dont get it.
Don Mar 8th 2009 12:05PM
I'm 74, live in Canada, have had 2 bypasses, prostate cancer, I still have my Wife, my house, my car, and a pension. my Drugs (as I'm over 65) are $17.50 for each perscription. and I truly feel sorry for my USA neighbours.
Don
Dana Mar 24th 2009 6:31PM
Universal Health Care will never happen in the United States for one reason: GREED the lobbies, the corporations make to much money to allow it. I have friends in Canada and they love the fact that they can be seen in a hospital or doctors office with a short wait period (15 minutes max). Here in the U.S. you have an average of 2 hours in an E.R. and if have no insurance then you are not taken care of. My brother broke his hip and once they determined he had no insurance he was discharged from the hospital and therapy was not an option. I agree with every one here if we can pay for another country health care ie.. Israel then why can we not take care of our own citizens?
Shirley Mar 24th 2009 6:35PM
I have a close friend who lived in Canada and she moved to the US after her first child was born because of the poor health care she and her family had experienced for years. One thing we all need to remember and internalize. WE are the government! As I read many of the comments, it apears that people have some idea that the government in America is some big "Dad" that pays for everything. YOU pay for everything with your tax dollar. Where do you think the government will get the money for this lousy program that will end of worse in form and substance than even Canada's plan. Our government can't even get us out of this financial crisis (that was caused by other greedy Americans who's acitons border on treason). What makes anyone believe that they could actually plan and carryout a decent health care plan. Get a job and pay for your own damn health care! I am tired of paying for lazy, ignorant people that think eveyone else should take care of them!
Rogelio Apr 1st 2009 12:12PM
I think at this point we have already established that Universal Health Care would benefit the US in the LONG RUN, not the short term which is what I feel most people seem to forget. Consider that our "Great" country is still ranked 37th in the world according to the WHO (World Health Organization, for those who don't know), but, do you know the reason why? The reasons are simple. Yes, we do have some of the best facilities in the world along with some of the best doctors in the world and some of the best health coverage for the WEALTHY. Keep that in mind. Because of the fact that these Corporate and Political fat cats can buy opinions and Nations, obviously they can make you think what they want you to think about any system that is against more profits for said Fat Cats.
Apparently, some, not all, of our citizens fail to see that the so-called "lazy, ignorant people" of our country decide not to get health care coverage because of that fact. Most of these people are people that have families and jobs that pay the lowest minimum wage in the World, and you can check me on this. We, the people (A line so many seem to forget, emphasis on WE here); WE the PEOPLE are told that it is "Uniquely American" to slave with three jobs and zero family time. WE the PEOPLE are told to chase a dream that is damn near impossible to acheive because of this system that has been established by the power elite of this country.
I am sick an tired of hearing about how aweful and darn near narcissistic the French are when they can manage to smoke more and drink more and have only one job and still live longer than the wealthiest american. But guess what? They think about WE the PEOPLE, not ME, the person bitching about helping my fellow man. So I guess in conclusion I should say that when we decide to stop knocking other countries for ideas and ideals that seem to work a HELL of a lot better than ours, We might become a country of WE, THE PEOPLE again and not ME AND MY FAT BANK ROLL.
HelpmeHelpYou Mar 31st 2009 9:30PM
I am all for UHC and I can't wait till us wakes up and smells the coffee. I hope I am alive to see the day. I don't care if I have to pay a little bit more in my taxes, it is going for a good cause helping my felow citizens.
For those dumm Fu*cks who are againsy UHC by saying more taxes less money in our pockes. Stupid, don't you pay for insurance now if you have insurance? So whats the big deal, it won't make that bit of difference if you pay more in your taxes and no more payments to insurance on weekly and monthly basis.
Think before you right
HelpmeHelpYou Mar 31st 2009 9:44PM
I am all for UHC and I can't wait till USA wakes up and smells the coffee. I hope I am alive to see the day. I don't care if I have to pay a little bit more in my taxes to help my felow citizens with health care.
For those dumb Fu*cks who are against UHC by saying more taxes less money in pockes. Stupid, don't you pay for insurance now if you have insurance at all? So whats the big deal, it won't make a bit of difference since you already have to pay for insurance without UHC anyway.
Think before you wright!
Bruce Apr 6th 2009 4:52PM
You posted the same comment twice and still managed to spell "write" incorrectly at the bottom of your comment. Maybe you should proof read.
Kaci Apr 2nd 2009 12:56PM
OMG! 81% think we need socialized health care? Must be the same idiots that voted for Hussein. Try doing some research on other countries that have it and you will see why it DOES NOT WORK. Great Britian and Canada are great places to start. Nationalizing health care would mean that physicians no longer have any incentive to give quality health care....besides that, we already have nationalized health care...MEDICAID AND MEDICARE and neither one of those are worth a shit. You people need to get your heads out and pay attention. This administration is a joke, and not a "funny ha-ha" one....you want THEM in charge of your health care??? I wouldn't want them in charge of my lawn care. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
Kaci Apr 2nd 2009 1:05PM
WHY SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE WON'T/DOESN'T WORK
They're back. The single-payer advocates are out in
full force, again, calling for universal health insurance for all
Americans. This time they're backed by a bipartisan coalition including
Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Some of the current proposals
are as coercive as Hillary Clinton's infamous national health plan. The
new push carries the same message, but more "moderate" messengers
deliver it. At first glance, many Americans might find the idea
of single-payer health insurance appealing, given current economic
conditions and high health insurance costs. However, before we accept
such a drastic shift in national health policy, we should examine how
single-payer health insurance could affect all individuals' health care
costs, choices and privacy. If history is any indication, any
single-payer initiative will end up costing much more than advocates
claim. That, in turn, will lead to higher taxes and/or rationing under
which the government will determine which medical treatments will and
will not be covered. How do we know this will happen? Because
single-payer health care has already been empirically tested on seniors
in the United States. Many people may not realize it, but the Medicare
program is one of the largest single payers of health care in the U.S.
and in the world. An examination of Medicare's 38-year-old track record
provides evidence of what happens when the government controls the
financing of health services for millions of U.S. citizens. Consider
the following facts.
Sue A. Blevins is president of the Institute for Health Freedom and author of "Medicare's Midlife Crisis" (Cato Institute, 2001).
When
Medicare was debated in 1965 (the year it was signed into law),
business and taxpayer groups were concerned that program expenditures
might grow out of control. However, single-payer advocates assured them
that all seniors could easily be covered under Medicare with only a
small increase in workers' payroll taxes. The federal government's lead
actuary in 1965 projected that the hospital program (Medicare Part A)
would grow to only $9 billion by 1990. The program ended up costing
more than $66 billion that year. Just three years after Medicare
was passed, a 1968 Tax Foundation study found that public spending on
medical care had nearly doubled in the first few years of Medicare. In
subsequent decades, Medicare payroll taxes and general taxes have
continued to rise to pay for skyrocketing health care costs. Tom
Miller, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute,
explains the main problems with Medicare (single-payer) financing. "As
fiscal pressures mount, the federal government does not 'negotiate'
with medical providers for lower prices for covered services," says
Miller. "It dictates below-market reimbursements with its near-monopoly
power as a purchaser of health care for seniors. The full costs of such
price discounts eventually reduce access to quality care and hold
health care markets hostage to political exploitation." Before
Medicare was passed, seniors were promised that the program would not
interfere with their choice of insurance. However, existing rules force
most seniors to rely on Medicare Part A to pay their hospital bills --
even if they can afford to pay for private insurance. Additionally,
today's seniors and doctors must abide by more than 100,000 pages of
Medicare rules and regulations dictating what types of services are
covered or not under the program. Currently, many Americans
choose to pay privately for health services to maintain their medical
privacy. However, a single-payer health plan would eliminate that
option and all citizens would be forced to give up their ability to
maintain a confidential doctor-patient relationship. Just look at what
has happened with Medicare. Under Medicare rules established in
1999, patients receiving home health care are required to divulge
personal medical, sexual, and emotional information. Government
contractors -- mainly home health nurses -- are directed to record such
things as whether a senior has expressed "depressed feelings" or has
used "excessive profanity." If seniors refuse to share medical and
lifestyle information, their health care workers are required to act as
proxies. This means total strangers will be permitted to speak for
seniors. Medicare officials stress that the government
protects patients' privacy. However, the General Accounting Office
reported to Congress several years ago that at five of 12 Medicare
contractors' sites, auditors were able to penetrate security and obtain
sensitive Medicare information. At a time when citizens are concerned
about high health care costs, fewer choices and loss of medical
privacy, a single-payer health plan could exacerbate these concerns.
Given our empirical evidence from the single-payer Medicare program, a
single-payer health insurance program for Americans of all ages would
most definitely lead to increased costs, reduced choices and less
medical privacy for everyone. These are warning signs that no American
-- including the moderates pushing universal health care -- can afford
to ignore.