Healthcare in the United The U.S.
pays twice as much in health care as
States of America
Major operations:
Private sector
-includes hospitalization, private
insurance companies, doctors, etc.
Government operations:
Medicare
-for US citizens aged 65+ and people
who meet special criteria
a. Type A- basic healthcare, payable
through pension costs
b. Type B- premium health care, payable
through wage cuts
Medicaid
-for US citizens with low incomes who
cannot afford private insurance
State Children’s Health Insurance Fund
-for children of US citizens who cannot
afford private insurance but are illegible for
Medicaid
Veterans Health Administration
-for living US veterans
16% of U.S. Citizens are UNINSURED.
Even more are UNDERINSURED.
The U.S. spends more money per person for
health care in the world.
They also have the 3rd highest public health
care costs per capita.
Medical debt is a major cause for personal
BANKRUPTCY.
U.S. Universal Health care is a major debate in
U.S. Congress. (Affordable Health Care for
America Act/ Obamacare)
The U.S. spends 16% of their Gross Domestic
Product on health care, second only to East
Timor.
most industrialized nations, YET lags behind:
- infant mortality
- life expectancy (42nd in the world)
In health care, the World Health Organization
(WHO) ranks the U.S.(2000):
-1st in Responsiveness
-37th in overall performance
-72nd by overall level health
“The U.S. is the ONLY wealthy, industrialized
nation that does not ensure that all its citizens
have (health insurance) coverage.”
-Institute of Medicine, National Academy of
Sciences
Health Insurance Status (for people aged
below 65)
Employer-sponsored health insurance- 59%
Medicaid- 13%
Medicare- 3%
Non-group health insurance- 6%
Military health care- 3%
Not insured- 16%
The current health care model of America is the
Western Allopathic Medical model.
Characteristics of Allopathic practice:
- It treats symptoms with the patient as a passive
participant in healing.
- It is specialized.
- The emphasis is on efficiency and profit.
- Placebo effect is evidence of the power of
suggestion.
- The practitioner/professional is emotionally
neutral and is the authority.
- Primary treatment is drugs and surgery.
Osteopathy
-a system of medical practice based on
the theory that diseases are due chiefly to a loss
of structural integrity; describes the role of the
muscles and skeleton in healing
Homeopathy
-a system of medical practice that treats
certain diseases by the administration of small
doses of remedy drugs that would, in healthy
persons, produce symptoms of the disease being
treated; “To fight fire with fire.”
Complementary health care is becoming
popular in the U.S.A. These include:
- Eastern medicine (e.g. acupuncture and
herbal / exotic medicine)
- traditional healers and folk medicine
(Native Americans / American Indians)
Health Care in Singapore
Health care is the responisbility of the
Singaporean Ministry of Health.
Characteristics:
- UNIVERSAL
- co-exists with private health care systems
- primary concern is the aging population
Singapore’s Universal Health Care system
ensures affordability through compulsory
savings and price control.
Private Sectors provide most care, e.g.
hospitalization, medication, etc.
Spending:
3% of Annual GDP
-34% from the Government
-66% from private sources
Health Care financing is based on the cultural
philosophy of Singapore.
According to the W.H.O., Singapore currently
has the lowest infant mortality rates (equaled
only by Iceland), and among the highest life
expectancies from birth.
According to Watson Wyatt, a global
consulting firm, Singapore has “one of the most
successful healthcare systems in the world, in
terms of both efficiency in financing and the
results achieved in community health
outcomes.
Overview of Singaporean Healthcare System:
~Compulsory Savings from Payroll
deductions (funded by employers and
employees)
~National Health Insurance Plan
~Government Subsidies
~Active Regulation of Supply and Prices of
Health Care services
~Supplemental private health insurance
(provided by employers)
Health Care in Japan
The Japanese Healthcare system is
VIRTUALLY FREE.
The Japanese Ministry of Health pays and
provides for almost every health care service
with virtually no cost to the patient.
Physicians and medical-allied professionals in
Japan are among the highest paid in the
world, and thus affect the Japanese medical
policy through the Japanese Medical
Association.
All Japanese citizens are required to enroll in a
Japanese insurance program, of which there are
two major categories:
Kenkou-Hoken (健康保険)
-known as the Employee’s health insurance
-social by nature, available to corporate
employees
Kokumin-Kenkou-Hoken (国民健康保険)
-known as the National health insurance
-reserved for self-employed people and
students
Primary Concerns:
-aging population
-smoking (kills 1 in 10 people in Japan)
-high suicide rates (30000 people every year,
1% of which are children)
Spending:
8.2% of Annual GDP (US$2098 per person)
-83% from the Government
-17% from private sources
Major Setbacks in the Japanese Healthcare
System: The Canadian health care system is a single
-Japanese hospitals charge higher for player system, where services are provided by
people without referrals. private doctors whose fees are entirely paid
-Space is an issue. 14000 emergency for and negotiated by the government.
patients were rejected at least 3 times before
getting treatment in 2007. Health Care in the Republic
-Supplementary insurance does not fully
cover the 30% shouldered by the patient in of the Philippines
major cases, necessitating the enrollment in
numerous private insurance plans, which Health care in the Philippines ranges from high
most people do. class (e.g. St. Luke’s Hospital) to non-existent
(in many rural areas).
Health Care in Canada The burden of national health care is taken up
by private health providers.
Canadian Health Care is a publicly-funded
health care system, which is mostly free at the
Medical and allied-medical practitioners can all
point of use and has most services provided by
train for their professions within the Philippines,
private entities.
but cannot work outside the country without
additional formal study and training in the
The Canadian health care system is guided by
country they choose to migrate to.
the provisions of the Canada Health Act,
which control and describe how the system
Large areas of the Philippines do not have
should be financed.
daily access to any pharmaceuticals at all.
Canadian health care is completely passive.
Estimates:
There is no need for the patient to get involved
There is 1 doctor for every 800 people.(2000)
with billing and private insurance companies
There is 1 bed for every 900 patients found in
play minimal roles in patient care.
1700 hospitals, 40% of which are run by the
government. The 60% are run by private
Equality is the center of the system. Each
companies.(2001)
person enrolled in the insurance system recieves
Cardiovascular diseases account for 25% of
a Care Card from the Canadian Ministry of
all deaths.
Health, which ensures that all enrollees receive
1965 cases of HIV were officially reported in
the same level of care.
2003. 636 of them developed AIDS.
Other sources estimate 9400 people were
Canada spends 10.6% of their GDP, or
infected with HIV/AIDS.
Can$5170 per person.
Expenditure:
Spending:
2.9% of Annual GDP (US$2.2 billion)
- 71% from the government
- 15% from the government
- 29% from private sources
- 85% from private sources
28% of Canada’s health care funds are spent in
Per person health expenditure reached US$28 in
hospitals.
2002. The government provided for the US$8.
Canada has a federally sponsored, publicly
funded Medicare system, whose services are
provided by the private sector.
The proposed National Health Budget for 2010 Despite all those, the government has not given
is Php28 billion, converted to US$597 million, priority to health. This is evidenced by the
or about Php310(US$7) per person. lowering of the National Budget intended for
health care over the past decade.
The Philippine Health Situation
- poverty The procurement of facilities and diagnostic
- population increase technologies make health care very expensive.
- rising cost of fuel Some physicians abuse the overdependence of
- rising costs of commodities Filipinos on diagnostic equipment, and subject
- overcrowding and inadequate shelter them to unnecessary tests just to earn money.
- limited, unequally distributed health resources
- high cost of medical care As long as the Filipinos live in poverty, the
- lack of basic health knowledge. scenario may worsen if the government does
not act.
Consider these:
1. Health statistics remain high in infant and Does the government really care?
child mortality caused by diseases long
considered preventable.
2. Millions still suffer and die from diseases -by Group 2, HELRET030 A11
whose prevention, treatment, and cure already
exist. Some barely make it out alive, but with
physical and mental disabilities that developed
from lack of elementary health care services.
3. Environmental sanitation is still a problem.
4. Most diseases, although communicable, are
often self-limiting and highly preventable.

The ironies of the Philippine Health Situation

- We produce thousands of nurses
every year, and some of the world’s best
doctors. These doctors choose to become
nurses, and these nurses seek greener pastures
because the government cannot provide them
jobs that could replenish lost resources.
- Many hospitals choose money over
life, instead of the other way around. Inflation
remains a problem in Philippine hospitals.
- The Constitution speaks of equality.
The health care situation implies that only the
rich and the affluent can receive treatment
because they’re the only ones who can afford
to stay in a hospital and buy medicine.
- Local materials are taken from our
local market. A Generic Act was passed to
ensure adequate supply and distribution of
generic drugs. However, there is still
overpricing.