How does health care work in different countries?

Despite all sorts of right-wing blather about how America has the world's best health care system, almost every study shows we don't. Here are seven countries who can show us a way forward. read more

Germany spends around half as much as America does on health care per capita, with few differences in quality of services between the two countries. 6. Netherlands (Population 16.69 million, GDP US$836.1 billion) Interestingly, health insurance coverage is statutory in Holland, but provided by private insurers competing for business. read more

Other countries like Canada, Japan, and most European countries have universal health care, which means that all its citizens receive a basic level of coverage, though the governments of the countries can choose to run the program in a variety of ways. read more

European coverage: different countries provide healthcare to their citizens in different fashions. Photograph of fans at the 2010 Ryder Cup: Rex Features Looking at different countries’ healthcare systems is like looking at the NHS in a circus mirror: the main elements are all there, but it’s a different image. read more

The remaining 160 countries rely entirely on healthcare that is paid for (or not) by citizens out-of-pocket for services that are donated (often by the U.S. and other countries) or delivered by a patchwork system of individual doctors, clinics and hospitals. read more