Comparison of USA and Canada Healthcare Systems

Comparison; Health Care System vs. Canadian Health Care System

Past discussions recommend that the USA should adopt the Canadian health care model. The models of health care for Canada and U.S. are very different. Unlike Canada, U.S. is a multi-payer and an entirely private funded system. Canada is a single- payer and is funded by the public (“Comparing the U.S. and Canadian Health Care Systems”, 2018; Ridic, Gleason & Ridic, 2012). It is claimed that the two models are similar culture-wise, that makes the Canadian model to be a potential future model for the U.S.

The Canadian system does a lot while spending less. The GDP spent for health in the USA is 16 % while in Canada it is 10.4% (Ridic, Gleason & Ridic, 2012). However, with that being the case, Canada health care is way better than the USA’s when the death rate of infants and life expectancy are used to assess performance (Sawyer & Selena, 2018). All citizens in Canada have  universal access to healthcare. That compared to the USA model is a different case with the latter not being fully inclusive in care for all of its citizens. In fact, 20 % of non-elderly Americans is not under governmental health insurance (Ridic, Gleason & Ridic, 2012).

Comparison; Health Care System vs. Germany Health Care System

Like Canada, Germany spends less in its healthcare system as compared to the USA, but has better health care outcomes (Sawyer & Selena, 2018). There is a concept of solidarity in Germany whereby the young pay for the old in the same way the rich pay for the poor. The same case with the healthy paying for the sick and the unmarried paying for families (Ridic, Gleason & Ridic, 2012). The pharmaceutical pricing and use in Germany is strongly restricted than in the US. In Germany, a pharmacy must be operated by a pharmacists and consumers must get prescriptions for medications.

There is universal health care coverage in Germany for all the qualified people (Ridic, Gleason & Ridic, 2012). However, both systems are faced with challenges of low life expectancy. In the US, there is poor health care access and coordination, cost effectiveness and equity. In Germany, there are challenges in coordinating care and controlling costs.

Similarities and Differences in Structures, Approaches, and Concepts of Systems

Germany

Germany depend heavily on work-based social insurance contributions characterized by different degrees of sharing costs by patients something that cannot be seen in the USA (Papanicolas & Smith, 2013). Here, all citizens must have a health insurance policy by law. Those earning less than $ 35,000 are supposed to enroll in sickness funds to assist in their health care coverage, and those whose income exceed that limit may choose to enroll in private insurance programs. This kind of model is not like in the USA where there is no a national mandatory health insurance for all citizens. The model is similar to the USA only in the case of private health insurance.

Comparison of USA and Germany Healthcare Systems

In the past, the German system has tried to link health spending increases to the increase in workers’ salaries (Janssen, Swart & Lengerke, 2013). However, rationing is un-heard-off in USA. There are sickness associations in Germany which give funding to physicians and allowing the private hospitals to negotiate with sickness funds guided by some public laws. Moreover, competition is regulated in Germany. The Government’s work in Germany is to supervise and facilitate the national standards for the health system. One similarity between German’s and USA’s framework is the introduction of cost controls (Papanicolas & Smith, 2013). Physicians in Germany are salaried and without admitting privileges unlike in the U.S.

Canada

Canada like America covers all medically essential and suitable services plus also debate the restriction of openly distinct coverage. Canada does not have home care and drugs within its public system. However, it has a national health insurance program called Medicare unlike the USA (Munro, 2016). Also, seventy percent of Canadian health bills is from national and provincial common incomes. The public healthcare budget is itself an upper limit. The system also has waiting lists. Physicians’ organizations and private hospitals directly bargain for compensation with agencies of government since healthcare is provided by these private institutions. USA differs from Canada in that the government also provide care to certain groups of people. Canadians are however similar to insured Americans in the use of physician services because their rate of private coverage is similar.

Reforming the USA Health Model

In order to reform the poorly performing USA healthcare model, there are certain reform principles that should be considered (Obama, 2016).

 First is ensuring that there is an appropriate health care coverage is by all U.S. citizens even those with monetary constraints. Secondly is ensuring that families and individuals have tragic health coverage. To add on that there also needs to be reforms in improving the quality of health care and safety (Kushniruk, Bates, Bainbridge, Househ & Borycki, 2013). Moreover, there should be a reform that leads to easy access to suitable healthcare that is a private and public supportive effort.

Additionally, the system should allow individuals as well as employees to purchase extra insurance services. There needs to be a reformed system that has an extensive cost management, and less complicated administration. Good reforms come with deep research and that necessitates the providence of funds for research of health services, education and a detailed health information technology setup and execution. There also needs funds for the public health sector to include other effective medical services that covers mental health matters, preventive measures as well as mental health services. Last, but not least reforms should extend to all-inclusive medical liability (Shi & Singh, 2015).

Similarities and Differences in Structures, Approaches, and Concepts of Systems

Justification

It is clear that the USA healthcare system is faced with many challenges that push for the need for reforms. There is a huge number of Americans that is not insured who are faced by challenges in catering for the unplanned costs. The quality of care in the USA is certainly low and not as efficient as a country like USA should be. It is discouraging that Americans have poor health coverage despite the government spending more money per individual on health care as compared to any other nation in the world.  There should be necessary reforms put in place to ensure that the number of uninsured Americans go down instantly. That can be by introducing universal insurance program for all Americans of all age and not just a few particular group of people.

Moreover, Reforms should focus on the often overlooked preventive care that has resulted to more costs incurred in treating complex and advanced diseases (Giaimo, 2018).

The American reform program will help improve the quality and value of care. Poor quality healthcare, high costs and the extreme population without health insurance cover are the common experiences of many Americans today. Many American do not receive the necessary healthcare and above that others receive unnecessary care that may even turn to be harmful.  It is sad when many Americans overstay in hospitals or have to pay unending visits to specialists. That is how low the quality of care is at the USA.

By considering people of all classes, the system will improve the health status of the entire America. It will also protect individuals and families from extreme financial ruin. Quality health care will reflect an ideal outcome for the resources exhausted. The highlighted reforms will also ensure an improved personal health responsibility.

Research reforms are necessary to solve the gaps in evidence that lacks in major areas affecting health services. There is limited evidence to show the efficiency of treatment and procedures. There is also not enough evidence to show how to inform specialist providers about the effectiveness of various treatments. Limited error detection also comes with limited available evidence.

The Impact of the proposed reforms on the Management of HealthCare Systems in the U.S.

The proposed changes in the model of the U.S. healthcare system can inspire changes to the managers in many ways. First managers may think of restructuring the model so that it can compare to that of Canada and Germany. The reforms are an eye opener on how the GDP invested in the healthcare sector will be put to better use in ensuring that the American healthcare investment reflects on the health care outcomes. Managers will be able to develop research models to look into the key areas of how to improve the current system. Moreover, managers will be inspired to push for governmental full support of the insurance programs for all citizens. Moreover, managers could find some meaning on investing funds to the public health sector.

Reforming the USA Health Model

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the USA model of healthcare requires instant repair so that it can reach to the standards of other OECD countries like Germany and Canada. The system lacking a universal health insurance policy for its citizen is not reasonable despite it being a high spender on the health of an individual; citizen. The high percentage of GDP invested in health should reflect an efficient system with improved health care for all. By so doing, America could reach to high levels of care as per international standards and to the class of nations like it.

Despite the fact that the U.S. being one of the most economically advanced nations in the world, it lacks a uniform health system (Message et al., 2016). The U.S. system is unique in its own ways, but has no universal healthcare coverage for its citizens as compared to two OECD countries; Germany and Canada (US Bureau, 2015). The US system cannot be described as anything more than a hybrid system because it cannot be said to be a national health service or a multi-payer national health insurance system. Neither can it be referred to as a single-payer system (Message et al., 2016). This study is going to look at the comparison of the healthcare system of the USA with that one of Canada and Germany and then recommend changes to the American system.

References:

Bureau, U. (2015). Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2014. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2015/demo/p60-253.html

Comparing the U.S. and Canadian Health Care Systems. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/aginghealth/fall07/w13429.html

Giaimo, S. (2018). Reforming Health Care in the United States, Germany, and South Africa: Comparative Perspectives on Health Perspectives in Comparative Politics (pp. 34-79). Palgrave Macmillan US.

Janssen, C., Swart, E., & Lengerke, T. (2013). Health Care Utilization in Germany: Theory, Methodology, and Results (pp. 102-231). New York: Springer Science & Business Media.

Kushniruk, A., Bates, D., Bainbridge, M., Househ, M., & Borycki, E. (2013). National efforts to improve health information system safety in Canada, the United States of America and England. International Journal Of Medical Informatics, 82(5), e149-e160. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2012.12.006

Message, P., Statement, D., Staff, D., AFL-CIO, D., Unions, A., & Constitution, D. et al. (2016). The U.S. Health Care System: An International Perspective. Retrieved from https://dpeaflcio.org/programs-publications/issue-fact-sheets/the-u-s-health-care-system-an-international-perspective/

Munro, D. (2016). Casino Healthcare. Cork: BookBaby.

Obama, B. (2016). United States Health Care Reform. JAMA, 316(5), 525. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.9797

Papanicolas, I., & Smith, P. (2013). Health system performance comparison (pp. 14-273). Maidenhead: McGraw Hill Education.

Ridic, G., Gleason, S., & Ridic, O. (2012). Comparisons of Health Care Systems in the United States, Germany and Canada. Materia Socio Medica, 24(2), 112. doi: 10.5455/msm.2012.24.112-120

Sawyer, B., & Selena, G. (2018). How does the quality of the U.S. healthcare system compare to other countries? – Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker. Retrieved from https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-five-year-survival-rates-certain-cancers-higher-u-s-comparable-countries

Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2015). Essentials of the U.S. health care system (pp. 25-350). Jones & Bartlett Publishers.