In your responses to peers, consider discussing how your healthcare career relates to theirs. Then, going beyond the introduction, compare the countries you discussed in terms of access and delivery. In what ways are they the same, and how are they different?

** My post is attached for reference ***

Post # 1

Hello everyone! My name is Rusha. I currently work in a cardiopulmonary unit in Boston. I was born and raised in Nepal where a healthcare system does not exist. After moving to the States, I was amazed at the healthcare system here until I fully understood how much it is also lacking. I am very interested to learn about different healthcare systems around the world as I do not know much about this topic. I am enrolled in the Generalist program but plan on shifting my focus to either mental or public health, so I am very excited for this course.

The two countries I will be comparing are Sweden and Japan.

The goal of Sweden’s healthcare system is for the entire population to have access to the healthcare. It is provided by the Swedish government and it is based on need (Holtz, 2017 pg.47). The Swedish healthcare system is organized by national, regional, and local levels. The healthcare coverage includes health and medical care, care of the elderly, pharmaceutical care, and dental care. According to Holtz (2017) the state pays for about 97% of all medical costs. Once a person has been declared sick by the doctor, the patient is required to pay percentage of their normal daily wage after that. However, a limit does exist and after a minimal amount has been paid towards their coverage, healthcare is free for the rest of the year.

Japan has a mandatory universal healthcare coverage that is provided to all of the people and it is an employer-based system. There are three categories of insurance: employer-based insurance, national insurance, and insurance for the elderly. These programs cover inpatient and outpatient care, dental care, and some pharmaceuticals. The healthcare is based on cost sharing but is free for those who cannot afford it or are living below poverty line (Holtz, 2017). There is a limit on how much out-of-pocket spending occurs over a year for the coverage. 

In comparison, Sweden has a better healthcare system than Japan. Sweden is noted to have the world’s highest levels of health care while Japan is noted to have the world’s highest life expectancy rates (Holtz, 2017). Both countries have healthcare systems that work and there is evidence to support their way of healthcare systems. However, Sweden’s healthcare system covers a lot of different areas such as mental health and sexual education, topics that are extremely important and often neglected in many countries.

References:

Holtz, C. (2017). Global health care: Issues and policies (pp. 47-52). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Post #2

Hello Classmates, 

My name is Nicole Whaley, this is my third semester here at SNHU and I have enjoyed my courses so far. My educational and career goals made an unexpected turn over the last 7 months because of a car crash that almost killed myself and family back in Novemeber 2019. I have not been able to return to my nursing career or continue my last three clinical classes because of the injuries and constant pain that I am in. So I made the decision that I would jump head first into the Masters Degree program in Healthcare Administration.   My career goal is to become a Healthcare Administrator at a Geriatric Psych Hospital or Memory Care Community here in Ohio. I have been in the healthcare field for 20 years and I have fallen in love with the Geriatric population during this time. I have an Associates Degree in Medical Assisting, my License Practical Nursing degree, and a Bachelor’s in Business and Healthcare Management. I have worked in all areas of healthcare during my 20 years and I continue to return to Geriatric Psych and/or Alzheimer’s/Dementia. 

I find Global Health and Diversity extremely important to healthcare. The United States is a Melting pot for all race, religions, cultures, and healthcare systems. One interest is that on infectous diseases and how they threaten the US population and ways we can prevent international spread of disease. Another is how understanding diversity and who it improves patient care, better choices for patients, better patient and healthcare provider communication. 

I compared Canada and Frances Health systems and how they are organized. Both of these healthcare systems cover all medically necessary and appropriate services for their populations. However Canada sees home healthcare and drugs lie outside the public system and in France dental and eye care tend to be covered by supplemental insurance. Both are funded by their national government and they set a statutory framework for financing universal healthcare coverage.  70 percent of Canada’s health bill comes from national and provincial revenues and France supports the social insurance with general revenues that are a wide range of wealth. France also has multiple degrees and types of cost sharing by their patients (Brown, L. 2003, January). 

Both of these Healthcare systems and the healthcare providers bargin back and forth with either government or state agencies to get lower costs of healthcare services. Out of the two I would consider France’s Healthcare system over Canada’s Healthcare System. Mainly because France offers supplemental insurance coverage that the universal coverage doesn’t cover. France also conducts and promotes evaluation studies to see what or if the healthcare system needs to change (Brown, L. 2003, January). 

Reference

Brown, L. (2003, January). Comparing health systems in four countries: Lessons for the United States. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447691/