America Health Care Ranking
How come France has the best health care system? And USA’s rank is only 37.?
Yet the French system is a lot like USA’s and not so much like the British(rank 18.) or Canadian(rank 30.), which many people think.
Exactly like the United States, the French system relies on both private insurance and government insurance. Also, just like in America, people generally get their insurance through their employer.
But the big difference is that everyone in France has health insurance. Every legal resident of France has access to health care under the law of universal coverage.
The system in France is funded primarily by taxing the salaries of workers. An employee in France will pay about 20% of their salary to fund the Sécurité Sociale. These taxes represent about 60% of the cost of the health insurance plan.
The balance of the funding comes from the self employed, who pay more than salaried workers, and by indirect taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Finally, additional taxes are levied against other income, both direct and indirect.
In France if I go to see a general practitioner (médecin généraliste) I play a flat rate- typically 35 Euro. That money comes directly from me to the doctor. Typically doctors don’t have appointments like in America, you simply show up and wait to see the doctor. Typically a patient gets 20-30 min with a doctor so it is not too rushed. I am then given a form I can submit to the government and based upon my age, employment, health, and so I will get a a refund- normally 70-100% back. The refund is from Sécurité Sociale. Additional insurance (l´assurance complémentaire) if commonly bought at a very low price to pick of any of the bill left over and to get access to “extra” services if they want. Most private insurance is from nonprofit insurers (keeping the price lower).
The drugs are price controlled, in fact most drugs are brand name and still often half to ten times cheaper than a US generic.
And France does NOT have health insurance like the US. Nearly 80% of all medical expenditure is by the government, the government has the responsibility for the financial and operational aspect of health insurance companies. So the government set the premium and things like income are part of that equation. Also under French law there is ‘couverture maladie universelle’, universal health coverage.
Health insurance companies do negotiate with the government but, like I said, they are nonprofit
The government also sets the prices services, procedures, drugs, and anything else. And yes people and drug companies DO make money.
There is also a system to keep cost down by trying to have general practitioners act as “gate keepers.” It is still possible to go directly to a specialist however the government will not reimburse as much without going threw the GP. So it is the best of both worlds- freedom to see a specialist but an incentive to check with the GP. And specialists can and certainly do change more for a visit yet even the most expensive are much cheaper than The US.
France also has introduced systems to cover medical costs of people who are not on the normal health insurance programmes (there are three, the largest covers 80%). For example a very ill person who has never been employed will get equal levels of health care.
And with more use of the medical system the price drops. So a person with cancer or other long term illness will likely stop having any medical bills. Even the copay (like that charge to see a GP would be waved).
Also Canada puts price controls on drugs but the government will not pay for them. In general Canada is considered the “worst good health system,” America is typically not even in the “good health system” group.
US Health Care Rates Number One not Number 37