Comparing and Contrasting Healthcare System
Utilize the document International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2017 (PDF) to complete the assignment. Please use the table of contents on page 5 to locate information on the selected healthcare systems.
GERMAN
In the German healthcare plan, who is covered? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan. (In other words, what are the similarities with the United States? What are the differences?)
What services are covered in the German plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
How are costs contained in the German plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
What is the role of the government in the German plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
How is the healthcare system financed in Germany? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
ENGLAND
In the English healthcare plan, who is covered? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan. (In other words, what are the similarities with the United States? What are the differences?)
What services are covered in the English plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
How are costs contained in the English plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
What is the role of the government in the English plan? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
How is the healthcare system financed in England? Compare and contrast this with the U.S. healthcare plan.
In your opinion, how does the U.S. healthcare system fare when compared to other healthcare systems? What would you change about it? What would you leave the same? In your discussion, consider the actual services provided, cost containment, and how the system is financed. Cite at least one source (not older than five years) to support your opinion.
Sample Answer
Comparing and Contrasting Healthcare System
A healthcare system is a structure that defines how health care is funded, planned, or controlled, and delivered to a particular population. Some of the components of a healthcare system include healthcare consumers, healthcare providers (clinicians, physicians, and healthcare institutions), and the economic and political environment. A well-functioning healthcare system can offer enough healthcare services and products to satisfy the needs and expectations of healthcare consumers. For instance, it should ensure unbiased access to health care, safeguard healthcare consumers against diverse health issues, and exploitation, and also promote the health of the community as a whole (Tikkanen & Abrams, 2020). A healthcare system of a country can be related or differ from that embraced by another country in various ways. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the similarities and differences of the German and English healthcare systems to that of the U.S healthcare plan.
Germany
Coverage
In terms of healthcare coverage, in the German healthcare plan, health care is universal for all legal residents. However, they are divided into different categories. Thus, all employed citizens whose total earnings are below $71 564 are covered by SHI, whereas nonearning residents are covered free of charge. The visitors are under the German SHI. Lastly, the refugees and non-registered immigrants are covered by social security (Mossialos et al., 2016). However, the U.S. does not practice universal coverage. In the U.S, a total of 27.3 million people were covered in 2016.
Services covered
Regarding the services covered, in the German healthcare system, the SHI covers preventive services, physician services, dental care, rehabilitation, mental care, physical therapy, inpatient/outpatient hospital care, optometry, and sick leave compensation (Mossialos et al., 2016). Also, the long term care insurance caters to home care and long-term services. Besides, the SHI covers all the prescription drugs apart from those barred by law. In the U.S. healthcare plan, ACA requires insurers to cover essential services such as ambulatory patient services, prescription drugs, pediatric services, hospitalization, laboratory services, mental health service, and chronic disease management services such as dental and vision care (Mossialos et al., 2016).
Costs
In German, healthcare costs are contained through cost-sharing and out-of-pocket sharing. These two strategies are used by healthcare insurance plans to reduce healthcare expenditures (Mossialos et al., 2016). Similarly, cost-sharing and out-of-pocket strategies are applied in the U.S. healthcare plan to manage costs.
Role of the government
The government plays a role in the German healthcare plan. For instance, the government or state owns most of the university hospitals. Also, it plays a role in public health activities through the local authorities such as the municipalities and also has possession of approximately half of all hospital beds. Additionally, the government plays a role in protecting healthcare consumers by regulating PHI from charging relatively high premiums that might overburden the insured. Lastly, the federal government, through the Federal Joint Committee, determines the services to be covered by sickness funds (Mossialos et al., 2016). Likewise, the U.S. government plays various roles in the healthcare system. First, the federal government sets policies and programs that govern diverse practices in the healthcare system to enhance access to affordable and quality care for all Americans (Mossialos et al., 2016). One of them includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that works to ensure the older and some individuals with disabilities access affordable and quality care. Secondly, the federal and state government provides subsidies to enhance access to care among low- and middle-income people (Mossialos et al., 2016).
Financing
The healthcare system in Germany is financed by publicly financed health insurance and private health insurance (Mossialos et al., 2016). But in the U.S, health care is paid for by the government through a program such as Medicare and Medicaid, the individuals’ funds, and it is financed by private insurers such as the employers.
England Healthcare System
Coverage
All registered residents in England are entitled to universal coverage. However, for some residents, such as undocumented immigrants, they only enjoy free treatment for particular infectious diseases. In comparison, in 2016, a total of 27.3 million people had insurance covers (Mossialos et al., 2016).
Covered Services
The national health insurance covers preventive services, such as physician services, mental health care, palliative care, some long-term care, including physiotherapy. Also, NHS pays for immunization, vaccination, and screening programs; inpatient and outpatient hospital care and drugs, as well as some necessary dental care (Mossialos et al., 2016). The essential services covered in the U.S. healthcare plan include ambulatory patient services, prescription drugs, pediatric services, hospitalization, laboratory services, mental health service, and chronic disease management services such as dental and vision care (Mossialos et al., 2016).
Cost Management
The costs are contained in the England healthcare system through cost-sharing. This is whereby health insurance allows the patients to cater to a given percentage of their healthcare expenditures. This helps to avoid misuse of healthcare resources, which can as well lead to increased healthcare costs (Mossialos et al., 2016). Similarly, the patients are allowed to pay some amount for their healthcare service before the insurer starts paying. Also, healthcare cost is contained in the U.S through cost-sharing and out-of-pocket strategies (Mossialos et al., 2016). They help to avoid misuse of necessary and unnecessary healthcare services.
Role of Government
The government plays a role in the England healthcare system by creating health legislation and general policy through the parliament, the secretary of the state for health, and the Department of Health to enhance access to care and promote healthcare services (Mossialos et al., 2016). Secondly, the department of Health governs the overall health system. Thirdly, the government develops budgets for public health. In the U.S., the federal government creates policies to promote equitable access to quality care, such as ACA (Mossialos et al., 2016). Also, the federal and local provide subsidies to finance the low or income earners to access affordable care.
