Information about Health Care Systems

Abstract

One cannot discuss the ethics of health policy without understanding how health systems work, so this chapter provides background on the American health system before and after the Affordable Care Act. It also describes two universal health insurance systems the U.S. could adopt. In Canada’s single-payer system, the government serves as the basic insurer for the entire population. In the regulated-market systems of Switzerland and the Netherlands, citizens must purchase health insurance through private companies, and the government’s main jobs are providing subsidies to less wealthy individuals and ensuring that insurance companies deal fairly with citizens. The chapter concludes by examining the core ideas behind consumer-driven health care, a set of specific policies that conservatives often add to their health care proposals.