The issue of healthcare has been and will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future. While in some countries, the healthcare system is terrible and people suffer because they can’t afford to get treatment for their illnesses or even going to the doctor, other countries offer terrific care for their citizens.
1. Switzerland
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Switzerland has universal care that it offers its citizens. Their healthcare system is regulated by the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance. Every citizen is required to have primary health insurance provided by the private sector, regardless of age or state of health.
2. Finland
Finland has a decentralized healthcare system that is publicly-funded. The private sector is quite smaller when compared to the publicly-funded one. The life expectancy can be attributed to the excellent healthcare system that this country has.
3. Sweden
The Swedish healthcare system is also decentralized, and it is funded by the government. The funding comes through taxes. It functions in three levels: local, regional, and national. The only downside is that it costs almost 12% of the country’s GDP each year.
4. Norway
Another Nordic country, Norway is known for the excellent healthcare that it provides to its citizens. Medical treatment is completely free for every citizen that is under sixteen, while citizens over this age have to pay a deductible.
5. France
France is known worldwide for the quality of its healthcare system. The life expectancy has steadily increased each year due to the health services that France offers. It has a national healthcare system that is almost exclusively funded by the national health insurance.
6. Germany
The healthcare system in Germany is universal. It is a multi-payer system, and it is compulsory for every citizen. Germans have three health benefits: accidents insurance, health insurance, and also long-term care insurance.
7. Belgium
Belgium is another country that is known for having a great healthcare system. Belgian people tend to live quite long, with the average life expectancy being 81.2 years. Their healthcare system is known for being quick and efficient.
8. Israel
The healthcare system in Israel is known for being among the best in the Middle East and the life expectancy that is in the top 10. Their healthcare system is universal, and every citizen can join one of the four government-funded healthcare organizations. These organizations can’t deny the membership to any Israeli national.
9. Hong Kong
In this tiny city-state of only 7.2 million people, there are 42 public hospitals, and also 11 private ones. Back in 2012, women of Hong Kong had the longest life expectancy on earth. Maybe moving there isn’t a bad idea.
10. Netherlands
The Netherlands is another European country that is known for its efficient and terrific healthcare system. Health insurance is mandatory for everyone over there. In case you don’t get health insurance you can get fined by the government.
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11. Luxembourg
The healthcare system ion this tiny country is funded almost entirely by the government, and according to the World Health Organization, Luxembourg spends more than $4.1 billion each year on healthcare. In other words, that is around 7% of the country’s GDP.
12. Singapore
Another tiny city-state with great healthcare services, Singapore has a universal healthcare system, while the private sector plays a significant role. According to Bloomberg, in 2012, Singapore had the best healthcare system in the world. Singapore has received plenty of praise throughout these past few decades.
13. Canada
Canada has a publicly funded healthcare system. Many Canadians also know it as Medicare. The private sector provides most of the healthcare services, and it seems that the population is more than satisfied with the quality of healthcare services that they receive every day. The Canadian Institute for Health Information expected that around $242 billion would be spent on healthcare.
14. Qatar
Citizens of Qatar are lucky to receive top quality healthcare. The government of Qatar is continuing to spend more and more on healthcare. In 2014 they invested $4.7 billion. Hamad Medical Corporation is a leading healthcare provider. It’s worth mentioning that it is a non-profit provider.
15. Italy
Italy provides healthcare to its citizens based on a system that is mixed between the public and private sector. This healthcare system has been lauded as one of the best healthcare systems in the world in the past. However, there was a concern when it came to waiting for surgeries. The planned surgery waiting times can reach months on end.
16. England
We can see a trend over here; Nordic countries and many Western European countries have a terrific healthcare system. We can freely add England to this list. The public health service or also known as the National Health Service (NHS) in England has been taking care of the English citizens since 1948. The private sector makes up only 8% of the market.
17. Australia
The Australian healthcare system is a mix of the private and public sector. Most of the services are covered by the public sector. Their healthcare system is known as Medicare, and in 2015, it cost 10% of Australia’s GDP.
18. South Korea
South Korea has universal healthcare, and it has been acknowledged by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as the first country when it comes to healthcare access. A clear indicator of how good the healthcare system in South Korea is the 5-year cancer survival rate. They are ranked first, with 72.8% survival rate.
19. New Zealand
New Zealand is an excellent example of how a mixed healthcare system can work for everyone. Like several other countries on this list, New Zealand has problems with waiting lists. Despite this, it is still one of the best countries in the world when it comes to healthcare.
20. Republic of Ireland
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Another European country on the list, to finalize our top 20. The healthcare system in the Republic of Ireland is made up of two sectors, the public, and the private sector. Even though at the beginning of this century, they weren’t considered top 20 in Europe, they have made significant improvements lately.
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