Health Care System

1414 Words6 Pages
1. What are 6 basic characteristics that differentiate the U.S. health care delivery system from that of other countries? a) No central governing agency and little integration and coordination. b) Technology-driven delivery system focusing on acute care. c) High in cost, unequal in access, and average in outcome. d) Delivery of health care under imperfect market conditions. e) Government as subsidiary to the private sector. f) Multiple players and balance of power. 2. Most Western European countries have national health care programs that provide universal access. How does the National Health Insurance system, such as the one adopted by the country of Canada differ from the National Health system, such as the one structured in Great Britain? In Canada, the government finances health care through general taxes, but the actual care is delivered by private providers. The Canadian system requires a tighter consolidation of financing, insurance, and payment functions, which are coordinated by the government. In Great Britain, the government manages the infrastructure for the delivery of medical care, in addition to financing a tax-supported national health insurance program. Under such a system, the government operates most of the medical institutions. Most health care providers are either government employees or are tightly organized in a publicly managed infrastructure. 3. List the 4 health determinant categories and provide an example of how the government is improving help in each determinant. The four leading determinants of health are environment, behavior and lifestyle, heredity, and medical care. The U.S. government has undertaken a series of 10-year plans outlining certain key national health objectives to be accomplished during each of the 10-year time frames. The overarching goals of the current initiative (Healthy People 2020) include the
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