Universal+Health+Care+In+Other+Countries

Most of Europe has publicly sponsored and regulated health care. The system is 50% financed from payroll taxes paid by employers to a fund controlled by the Health regulator. The government contributes an additional 5% to the regulator's fund. The remaining 45% is collected as premiums paid by the insured directly to the insurance company. All insurance companies receive additional funding from the regulator's fund. Insurers with high payouts will receive more from the regulator than those with low payouts. Thus insurance companies have no incentive to deter high cost individuals from taking insurance and are compensated if they have to pay out more than might be expected. Insurance companies compete with each other on price for the 45% direct premium part of the funding and try to do negotiate deals with hospitals to keep costs low and quality high. These deals are visible to the regulator who ensures fair play for the policyholders. In the **United Kingdom,** the NHS provides a very wide range of health services to virtually the entire population. It is entirely funded from general taxation. As a consequence, it does not bill its services to either its patients or an insurance fund. Medicines, hospital supplies (such as bandages and hip joints), and hospital supplied meals and refreshments are all available free of charge to in-patients. Even outpatients receive free loans of medical aids such as crutches. This is a factor which reduces administration costs considerably over insurance based systems. __ Argentina, Brazil, __ Canada, __Chile, Costa Rica. Cuba__ and __Uruguay__ all have public health care provided. __Mexico__ is planning to launch its own universal health care network.
 * Universal Healthcare In Other Countries Factsheet **
 * The Netherlands ** has a dual level system. All primary and curative care (i.e. the family doctor service and hospitals and clinics) is financed from private compulsory insurance. Long term care for the elderly, the dying, the long term mentally ill etc. is covered by __ social, insurance __ funded from taxation.
 * Thailand ** introduced universal coverage reforms in 2001, becoming one of only a handful of lower-middle income countries to do so.
 * India ** has partial universal health care system run by the local governments. The "government hospitals", some of which are among the best hospitals in India,1351 provide treatment at taxpayer cost. Selected drugs are offered free of charge in some hospitals. In 1946 a Health Survey and Development Committee in India put forward a plan for a universal health care system. According to India Today, the country has not lived up to their outlined plan. As of 2007, the hospitals contain only a tenth of the recommended ratio of hospital beds; there are only 70 beds for every 100,000 people.