Summaries of summaries of healthcare systems based on the Commonwealth Fund reports.
Author(s) of the originals are:
Karsten Vrangbaek, Isabelle Durand-Zaleski, Reinhard Busse, Niek Klazinga, Sean Boyle, and Anders Anell
Denmark
• The health-care system of Denmark covers all regular healthcare
• Insurance is universal and compulsory
• Cost-sharing occurs in dental and corrective eye care and drugs
• Out-of-pocket costs account for 14% of the total health expenditure
• There is a safety net for the poor and the chronically ill to limit their expenses
• The system is publicly financed
• Federal tax of approximately 8% of taxable income goes into the fund; this accounts for 82% of total health expenditure
• Private or complementary insurance is available. 30% of the population buys this through not-for-profit Danish Health Reimbursement Scheme plus some others. This is often a fringe benefit for employees.
• The system is organized into five regions. Each region owns and runs hospitals skilled nursing facilities etc.
• The various regions finance the practitioners dentists and “pharmaceuticals” (? Pharmacists)
• It was not clear to me whether practitioners get fee-for-service or rates or if they are able to negotiate.
• Some professionals, I’m not sure which, our salaried-perhaps hospital and clinic-based.
• Hospital-based physicians are salaried.
• Other physicians have a capitation arrangement which accounts for approximately 30% of their income plus fee-for-service for the rest.