Country Health Care Notes

United Kingdom:
- socialized medicine
- spend 8.3% GDP
- government run National Health Service
- citizens pay health care taxes
- more choices and becoming more competitive
- youth and elderly exempt from drug co-pays

Japan:
- social insurance model
- 8% GDP
- ave. family premium $280.00/month employers usually pay ~1/2
- co-pay 30% procedure cost capped based on income
- assistance for poor
- can go to any specialist as often as they like
- gov negotiates prices with physicians
- spends too little on health care many hospitals don't make enough
- Japan spends the least, has the healthiest people, and has the most technology

Germany:
- social insurance model
- 10.7% GDP
- ave. family premium $750.00/month capped by income
- co-pay 10 euro/ 3 months, pregnant exempt
- birthplace of social insurance, similar to Japan
- can buy their insurance from one ore more of 200~ non-profit "sickness funds"
- poor receive assistance
- can not deny coverage b/c of preexisting conditions
- "sickness funds" bargain with doctors as a group
- compete for members
- single payment system, leaves some doctors underpaid
- rich can opt out for U.S. style profit insurance

Taiwan: 
- National Health Insurance
- 6.3% GDP
- $650/yr family of 4
- all citizens have insurance through one gov insurer
- co-pay 20 percent of the cost of drugs up to $6.50; up to $7 for outpatient care; $1.80 for dental and
traditional Chinese medicine exemptions for major diseases, childbirth, preventive services, and for
 the poor, veterans, and children
- working people pay premiums 1/2 from employers, non working pay flat rates with gov help
- similar to Canada's
- can see any doctor w/out referal
- lowest administrative costs in the world
- not taking enough money to cover what it provides

Switzerland:
- Social insurance
- 11.6% GDP
- $750.00/month for families, gov subsidies for poor
- co-pay 10% of the cost
- required that you are part of the nation's social insurance
- universal coverage
- no favoritism in the system
- capitalist competitive system
- no gate keeper doctors
- drug prices slightly higher

All of the countries have pretty much the same life expectancy rate at birth but Japan has the highest.