News
How Swiss Achieve at 99% Coverage for Health Care
The Swiss health care system gets a look in the Prescriptions Blog of The New York Times.
“The most important difference is that health insurance in Switzerland is provided by nonprofit insurers — though some are affiliated with for-profit companies that offer supplemental policies along the lines of Medigap in the United States. The basic benefit package is defined by law and is quite generous. Maximum drug prices are regulated,” says the expert quoted below on the blog.
Other points made:
- Patients can use the doctors they want. Satisfaction is high.
- So are costs.
- The Swiss, described as a “risk-averse” culture, has achieved 99 per cent coverage but has not put in place any significant cost control measures.
You can read also about health care in Canada, Japan and France by using the links below.
This blog review is helpful because in the U.S., the two systems which have gotten almost all of the public’s attention are in Canada and Great Britain.
It helps to look at others, too. Check them out.
“Timothy Stoltzfus Jost is a law professor at Washington and Lee University and frequently writes on comparative health care policy. His work includes an examination of insurance coverage in Switzerland and a comparison of the Swiss and Dutch systems. He spoke to the freelance writer Anne Underwood.
“This is the fourth in a series of posts describing health care delivery in other countries. Previous posts have described Canada, Japan and France.
“Q. Is there an employer mandate, too?
