U.S. vs Ec Health Care

Discuss the differences between a social insurance and a public assistance approach to government-financed national health insurance? What is the implication of one versus the other as regards a country’s health care philosophy?

There are two distinct way for a government to finance health care – via social insurance or public assistance. Canada has a tax-financed, single-payer system to fund their purely social insurance system (Bodenheimer, 2012). Income, payroll, and sales taxes are paid in each province. The provinces’ governments are then the single payer to physicians and hospitals. In Canada everyone, no matter of age, employment status or income is covered under the same plan (Bodenheimer, 2012).

Germany has a mix of social insurance and public assistance through its employment based sickness funds (Bodenheimer, 2012). Employees and their employers make contributions to a sickness fund to finance health care, however, coverage continues if one is to change jobs or no longer work. Citizens who are employed and contribute to their insurance receive the same benefits and treatment as those who are unemployed and the government contributes on their behalf.

United States health care system finances health care via private insurance, social insurance, and public assistance. What is unique about the United States is that it is the only industrialized Western nation that does not provide governmental, national health care (Anonymous, n.d.) In the United States the primary form of financing is through private insurance, where only the working receives benefits. The government has provided Medicare, a form of social insurance, that provides care to elderly and Medicaid, a form of public assistance that provides care to the poor.

In conclusion, there are two distinct way for a government to finance health care – via social insurance or public assistance. How a country finances health care tells how a country views health care...