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Comparing Health Care Systems Worldwide
Myth: The United States is ranked 37th as a health system by the World Health Organization (WHO), below Canada, the United Kingdom and France
Fact: In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked 191 countries based on data from 1997. The countries were evaluated by five factors, including the overall health of the population and distribution of health services. In categories such as responsiveness and expenditures, the U.S. ranks number one, showing a commitment to deliver speedy health care to our citizens regardless of cost. Many factors such as obesity and smoking have lowered the health of Americans and, thus, lowered our ranking with the WHO. Since 1997, the U.S. has made further improvements to the quality and accessibility of our health care, including the creation of Medicare Part D.
Myth: Government-controlled health care systems provide better access than the employer-sponsored system in the United States
Fact: In Canada, for instance, the Fraser Institute reported in December 2006 that Canadians wait an average of 17.8 weeks from general practitioners’ referrals to treatment by a specialist. Most provinces have a Web site to calculate a patient’s wait time based on type of procedure and area. At the time of publication, the wait for breast cancer surgery in South West Ontario could be as little as 24 days or as many as 110 days. According to another recent survey, nearly two-thirds of Canadian citizens and 85 percent of doctors agree that obtaining private insurance for services already covered under Canada’s single-payer system will result in shorter waiting times. It is illegal in Canada to seek private medical treatment. According to the Department of Health, only 51 percent of patients in the United Kingdom received doctor-recommended hospital treatment within 18 weeks or less and 12 percent have waited over a year for care.
Myth: Achieving universal health care coverage in the United States is possible only by implementing a government-run, single-payer system
Fact: Nations with national health care systems, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, have achieved universal health care coverage using private health care plans.
Health Care Fact of the Day
In the U.S., only 6 cents of every health care premium dollar is devoted to administrative costs, while 86 cents is applied to medical care such as prescription drugs, physicians and hospitals....learn more.
About the Center for Medicine
The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make healthcare more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.