The United States likes to think of itself as “the shining star on the hill,” but we fall short of other countries in many ways.
Every year, the Legatum Institute releases their Prosperity Index, which ranks the countries of the world on several different aspects and assigns each country both an overall rank and rankings for each sub-category.
When it comes to business, yes, the U.S. is indeed #1. No real shocker there, right?
But where does the U.S. rank when it comes to health care?
#32.
So what are the top five countries when it comes to health care?
5. The Netherlands
The Dutch enjoy a health care system that includes mandatory coverage for all citizens with lots of communication between patients and their doctors. The average life expectancy is 81.9 years.
4. Japan
Citizens in Japan are covered by universal health insurance with the freedom to choose their providers. Their life expectancy of 83.5 is the highest in the world.
3. Switzerland
The Swiss have a form of universal care – everyone is required to buy it from private insurers, but the insurers are required to accept every applicant. They rank just behind Japan in life expectancy, with an average life expectancy of 83.4 years.
2. Singapore
Singapore’s “3M” system — Medifund for people who can’t otherwise afford coverage, Medisave (a mandatory health savings account), and Medishield (government-sponsored coverage) — helps put their system in the number two spot. Their average life expectancy is third in the world, with citizens living an average of 83.1 years.
1. Luxembourg
The tiny (but very wealthy) country of Luxembourg beats all others when it comes to health care. According to healthmanagement.org:
The health service, overseen by Luxembourg’s Union of Sickness Funds, ensures high quality, free and subsidised healthcare is available to all citizens and registered long-term residents. The state system covers the majority of treatments provided by GPs and specialists as well as laboratory tests, pregnancy, childbirth, rehabilitation, prescriptions and hospitalisation. The patient initially has to pay for the medical fees, which are decided on and revised annually by the Caisse de Maladie, and then submit the receipts for a reimbursement, which varies from 80 to 100 percent.
You can read the entire report here.
All photos are Public Domain, via Pixabay
