Health Care Systems: An International Comparison Strategic Policy and Research Intergovernmental Affairs May 21 1
Most industrialized countries have established hybrid systems in which the public sector, which has the greater share of responsibility, works alongside the private sector, both in the funding of health care Australia (1992) Canada (199) Denmark (1993) France (199) Germany (1989) Italy (1988) Japan (1991) Netherlands (1983) Norway Sweden Switzerland (1991) United Kingdom (1994) United States (199) Health system s main source of financing Taxes Social Security Funds Private Insurance Source: Blanchette, Claude, Public and Private Sector Involvement in Health Care Systems: An International Comparison, Bulletin 438E, Library of Parliament, 1997 2
and in the delivery of hospital care Main Delivery Entity of Hospital Health Care (as percentage of hospital beds) Public Non-Profit Private Australia (1992) 75 --- 25 Canada (199) 98 --- 2 Denmark (1993) Most --- --- France (199) 65 16 19 Germany (1989) 51 35 14 Italy (1988) 8 2 Japan (1991)* 19 --- 81 Netherlands (1983) 15 85 Norway Most --- --- Sweden Most --- --- Switzerland (1991)* 46 32 22 United Kingdom (1994)* 5 9 5 United States (199)** 27 59 14 * As percentage of hospitals ** As percentage of acute-care hospital beds Source: Blanchette, Claude, Public and Private Sector Involvement in Health Care Systems: An International Comparison, Bulletin 438E, Library of Parliament, 1997 3
With the exception of Germany and the United States, most of the industrialized countries have universal publicly funded health care systems Percentage of Total Population with Public Insurance (1997) % 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 99.5 Australia Canada Denmark Italy Japan Sweden United Kingdom 92.2 45. France Germany United States Source: 2 OECD Health Data 4
The payment of user fees is a common practice in most OECD countries, but this practice is less widespread in Canada Public Health Care User Fees 1993 ($CDN) Physician/ Drugs Hospital X-Ray/ specialist laboratory Australia $5-$8 $11 --- --- Canada --- D/C* --- --- Denmark --- %-5% --- --- France 25% 3%-1% 2%<3days+$6/day 35% Germany --- $1.25 $3<14days --- Italy $/$7-$8 $3+5% or $ --- 3% Japan 1%-3% 1%-3% 1%-3% 1%-3% Netherlands --- fixed-price --- --- Norway $11/$16 25% (max $43) --- $11 Sweden $6-$9/$ D $15 and $1/drugs $8 --- Switzerland 1% $7 $7 1% United Kingdom --- $4-$5/drug or $65/annual --- --- United States 2%>$1D 1% $676<6days 2%>$1D D: Deductible, C: Co-insurance *Depending on provinces Source: Blanchette, Claude, Public and Private Sector Involvement in Health Care Systems: An International Comparison, Bulletin 438E, Library of Parliament, 1997 5
Not counting the United States, Canada has among the most limited publicly funded extended care coverage in the OECD countries Public coverage of complementary care Countries covering almost all care Countries not covering the following care Drugs Glasses Dental care Prostheses Other Germany Italy Belgium Denmark Finland Greece Iceland Luxembourg Norway Spain Canada 1 United States Australia United Kingdom 2 Portugal 3 Sweden 2 Canada United States Australia United Kingdom France Japan Austria Canada United States Australia France Austria Canada United States France Portugal Canada 4 United States Japan 5 New Zealand 6 1. The Canadian system covers only drugs received in hospitals. Drugs prescribed outside hospitals are paid in part or entirely by consumers, by private insurance or by public provincial insurance. 2. Affordable Drugs 3. Some pharmaceutical products 4. Private hospital care and sanatoria 5. Medical check-up, private room and injection 6. Outpatient care Source: Blanchette, Claude, Public and Private Sector Involvement in Health Care Systems: An International Comparison, Bulletin 438E, Library of Parliament, 1997 6
Canada spends about the same percentage of GDP on health care as the G7 average, while the US spends substantially more 14 Health Spending as a percentage of GDP (1997) 12 % 1 8 6 7.4 2.4 2.5 2.9 2.8 1.4 2.8 1.3 2.3 1.5 1. 4 2 6.5 8.3 7.1 6.4 6.4 7.2 5.6 6.7 5.3 5.7 5.8 US Germany France G7 Average Canada Sweden Australia Denmark Italy Japan UK Public Spending Private Spending Source: 2 OECD Health Data 7
The United States spends a larger percentage of its GDP on health care mainly because of higher labour, administrative and malpractice insurance costs 1 8 6 7.5 Administrative Costs as a Percentage of Health Spending 8.3 6.9 5.9 7.8 % 4 3.1 3.6 3.7 2 Germany United States Australia Canada France.8.2 Public Spending Private Spending * 1994 for Australia, Canada, Switzerland, 1995 for Germany and 1996 for France and United States. Source: 1998 OECD Health Data 8
Canada s public spending as a percentage of overall health care spending is lower than in many industrialized countries but higher than in the US Public Health Spending as a Percentage of Total Health Spending % 1 9 9 83 84 85 84 84 78 78 8 76 77 8 75 75 74 7 7 67 67 7 56 59 6 5 4 3 2 1 Sweden UK Denmark Italy Japan Germany Canada France Australia G7 Average 199 1997 Source: 2 OECD Health Data 46 41 US 9
Per-capita health care spending in Canada is lower than the G7 average, while it is subtantially higher in the United States 4, Per-Capita Health Spending 1997 3,5 3, 2,194 2,5 $US 2, 1,5 1,126 542 658 527 33 635 293 354 485 214 1, 5 1,91 1,621 1,822 1,517 1,52 1,712 1,274 1,469 1,46 1,128 1,177 US G7 Average Germany Canada France Denmark Australia Sweden Japan Italy UK Public Spending Private Spending Source: 2 OECD Health Data * Data in US dollars converted with purchasing power parity. 1
Growth of per-capita public spending during the 199s was substantially below the G7 average in Canada, while it was above the G7 average in the United States % 2 18 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 9.2 8.2 7.7 4. Average Annual Growth of Per-Capita Health Spending 199-1997 7.1 6.8 Germany US Japan G7 Average 5.4 5. 5.3 5.1 4.8 4.9 2.1 3.9 1.9 6. 7.5 1.1 1. 9.7.3 19.1 France UK Australia Canada Italy Sweden Denmark Public Spending Private Spending Source: 1998 OECD Health Data 11
While the share of public spending allocated to health care is lower than the G7 average in Canada, it is higher in the United States 25 Public Health Spending as a Share of Total Government Spending % 2 15 1 2 14 14 17 17 14 16 16 15 15 14 15 12 15 13 13 13 12 11 11 13 12 5 US Germany G7 Average Japan Australia Canada UK France Denmark Italy Sweden 199 1997 Source: 2 OECD Health Data 12
Health care delivery in Canada is dependent on a smaller number of physicians than the average for the G7 countries Number of Physicians* and Nurses** per 1, persons, 1997 12 1 8 6 4 5.8 4.9 1.2 9.5 8.3 7 7.4 5.9 3.4 3.1 3. 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.5 9.5 7.6 7.4 4.5 2 2.1 1.8 1.7 Italy Germany Sweden France Denmark G7 Average Physicians US Australia Canada Japan UK Nurses * 1996 for Japan, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and the G7 average. **1996 for Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Sweden and the G7 average. Source: 2 OECD Health Data 13
Physicians incomes are substantially higher in the United States than in other industrialized countries 24, 2, 16, 199, Annual Average Income of Physicians 1996** $US* 12, 8, 4, 14,7 1,781 62,273 62,7 58,416 55,944 52,547 4,774 US Germany Canada Japan France Denmark Australia UK Sweden * Data in US dollars converted with purchasing power parity. ** 1991 for UK, 1992 for Canada and Germany, 1995 for Sweden and 1997 for France and Japan. Source: 2 OECD Health Data 14
Canada has far fewer scanners and magnetic resonance imaging machines per capita than the United States and the G7 average 8 7 6 5 4 69.7 Units of Scanners and MRIs per one million persons* 3 28.1 26.9 2 1 18.8 Japan (1996) 11.3 G7 Average 16. US (1993) (1995) 2.8 2.9 Australia (1995) 17.1 6.2 Germany (1997) 14.6 13.7 4.1 Italy (1997) 6.8 Sweden (1993) (1995) 9.7 France (1997) 8.1 2.5 1.7 Canada (1997) 6.3 5.8 3.4 2.5 UK (1993) (1995) Denmark (199) Scanners Magnetic Resonance Imaging Source: 2 OECD Health Data 15
Life expectancy in Canada compares favourably with the other G7 countries, while the United States compares less favourably Number of years 8 Life Expentancy 1997 77 74 8. 79. 78.5 78.2 78.1 78.1 77.2 77.2 76.7 75.7 71 Japan Canada Sweden Italy France G7 Average UK Germany US Denmark Source: World Health Report 1999 16
Canada and the United States rank poorly on some health status indicators, although Canada outperforms the United States Health Indicators Rank Infant Mortality Rate Cancer Mortality Rate Heart Disease mortality 1 per 1, births per 1, persons per 1, persons (1997*) (1995**) (1995***) 1 Japan (3.7) Japan (156) France (173) 2 Sweden (4.) Sweden (158) Japan (178) 3 Germany (4.8) Australia (177) Canada (227) 4 France (4.8) United States (183) Australia (255) 5 Australia (5.3) Canada (184) Italy (271) 6 Denmark (5.6) Germany (184) Sweden (273) 7 United Kingdom (5.9) France (186) United States (28) 8 Canada (6.) Italy (195) United Kingdom (282) 9 Italy (6.2) United Kingdom (192) Germany (38) 1 United States (7.8) Denmark (227) Denmark (328) * 1995 for Italy, 1996 for Canada, Denmark, United States and Sweden ** 1993 for Denmark and Italy, 1996 for United States and Sweden, 1997 for Germany and United Kingdom *** 1993 for Denmark and Italy, 1994 for Japan, 1996 for United States and Sweden and 1997 for Germany and United Kingdom 1 Includes ischaemic heart diseases, acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular diseases and others. 17 Source: 2 OECD Health Data
Only 23 percent of Canadians, compared with over one third of Americans, feel that their health care system needs to be completely rebuilt % of public saying: completely rebuild the health care system system works pretty well, only minor changes needed Australia Canada New Zealand UK US 3% 19% 23% 2% 32% 9% 14% 25% 33% 17% recent system changes will harm quality of care 28% 45% 38% 12% 18% they did not get needed care in past year 8% 1% 12% 1% 14% it is very difficult for themselves or family members to see a specialist or consultant 35% 47% 34% 29% 4% they had problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months 1% 5% 15% 3% 18% amount spent in the past year on medical bills not covered by insurance was more than US $75 19% 9% 1% 1% 29% the medical care they and their family received in the past 12 months has been excellent or very good 54% 54% 54% 5% 49% Source: The Commonwealth Fund 1998 International Health Policy Survey 18