A country’s health system can have a positive or negative impact on its economy, population, and society. It can also affect how much it costs to provide care, which in turn influences how many people have access to the healthcare they need and the overall quality of that care.
Whether or not a country has an effective and affordable healthcare system depends on many factors, including the social and cultural norms of its citizens. These norms influence the way people think about health and illness, their expectations of what a healthy life looks like and how they perceive risk.
Leadership & Governance
Leaders of healthcare systems must ensure that strategic policy frameworks are in place and implemented, that their health workforce is well-trained, fair and efficient, and that they have reliable information on which to base decisions and policies. They also need to ensure that adequate funding is available to deliver services in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Reimbursement & Insurance
A good health system should offer a variety of payment and insurance options to meet the needs of its residents. These could include public and private insurance, as well as prepaid healthcare, where the consumer pays in advance for the service.
The most common type of health care coverage is insurance through an employer, such as a large corporation or small business. This covers a broad range of conditions and can be costly, but it does provide protection against financial disaster in the event that an individual becomes sick or injured.
In the United States, almost seven out of every ten adults under age 65 are covered by an employer-sponsored insurance plan. Some workers choose to buy their own health insurance from the marketplace or an individual market, but a quarter of Americans still don’t have any coverage at all.
Paying for Health Care
About half of all Americans say they have medical or dental bills they can’t pay, and more than four in ten worry about being unable to afford their deductible before their insurance kicks in. These deductibles can cause uninsured Americans to miss needed medical appointments or to cut down on their prescriptions.
Despite their concerns, most Americans are able to obtain insurance through a variety of sources. These include workplace-sponsored plans, government-sponsored programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, and private plans purchased on the federal health exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act.
It’s important to choose a plan that meets your unique needs, so make sure to compare plans. Look at the benefits and prices, and ask questions about plan restrictions and coinsurance. Generally, HMOs have lower premiums but more restrictions, while PPOs usually cost more but give you more freedom to see any doctor or get any kind of care.