Health Care Around the World

It’s been a while since I wrote about my favorite topic. But now, Jonathan Cohn discusses an interesting PBS documentary on comparative health care systems across the world. Unlike Sicko, the tone is sober, and it doesn’t include Cuba in its list of comparators! It also does not avoid the problems that these countries face with their health care systems. Still, the bottom line is clear: “Every system the film portrays has its problems, but overall each one seems to deliver a better total package than the one in the U.S.”

Taiwan is an interesting case, as it presents a unique natural experiment: it switched from a US-style system to a single payer system a few years ago. It proved a major success, leading to better and cheaper health care, and proved immensely popular. What’s more:

“There are no chronic waiting lists, like you find in Britain, and the care is very advanced. Among other things, Taiwan is among the world leaders in establishing electronic medical records–an innovation that should significantly improve care by keeping doctors and nurses better informed about patient histories and, no less important, avoiding potentially dangerous drug interactions.”

The US can learn from other countries too:

“The reports from Germany, Japan, and Switzerland make it clear that it’s possible to have everything Americans like about their health care system–quick access, choice of doctor and provider, high quality care–while covering everybody and spending less. The film also does an admirable job of pointing out the virtues of a system like England’s, which may be too spartan for American tastes but nevertheless has been a true innovator when it comes to encouraging quality and cost-effective spending.”

It is well known that Americans pay more than twice as much for health care as the average European country, with worse outcomes, and huge rationing by cost. The problem, of course, is that the health care debate is not marked by sober fact-based discussions. It is driven by ideology and anecdotes: if the government is involved, it must be worse, and anyway, aren’t Canadians streaming across the border to get into US hospitals? It’s time to follow the example of this documentary.