Countries & Systems
This country uses a tax-funded National Health Service where care is free at the point of service.
What is the United Kingdom?
All countries in the documentary guarantee this for their citizens.
What is universal healthcare coverage?
These doctors coordinate patient care and emphasize prevention in many countries’ systems.
What are primary care physicians?
In the U.S., health insurance is most commonly tied to this.
What is employment?
This is the idea that everyone contributes to healthcare so everyone is covered.
What is social solidarity?
This country requires everyone to buy private insurance but heavily regulates prices and coverage.
What is Switzerland?
Governments in these countries control costs by setting these for medical services.
What are price controls or fee schedules?
Many countries focus on this type of care to reduce long-term costs and improve population health.
What is preventive care?
Unlike other countries, this major reason causes many Americans to avoid seeking medical care.
What is cost?
This term refers to a system in which the government is the primary insurer.
What is single-payer?
This Asian country has universal coverage and requires annual health checkups for many workers.
What is Japan?
The U.S. spends more per person on healthcare than any other country, yet it ranks lower on these measures.
What are health outcomes (life expectancy, infant mortality, etc.)?
From a public health perspective, universal healthcare improves these across the population
What are population health outcomes?
The documentary argues that healthcare in other countries is considered a right rather than a privilege.
What is a right?
This is the main public health focus missing from the U.S. system compared to others.
What is prevention?
This country created a single-payer system using a smart card to track medical records and insurance.
What is Taiwan?
These are much lower in other countries compared to the U.S., helping reduce healthcare costs.
What are administrative costs?
This public health principle refers to fairness and equal access to healthcare services.
What is health equity?
The U.S. healthcare system is described as fragmented and driven largely by this.
What is profit or the private insurance market?
The documentary shows that universal healthcare systems generally have lower costs and better ______ health.
What is population?
This country uses nonprofit “sickness funds” funded by employers and employees.
What is Germany?
This type of healthcare financing spreads risk across the entire population.
What is risk pooling?
These factors, like income, education, and environment, influence access to healthcare and health outcomes.
What are social determinants of health?
Compared to other countries, the U.S. spends more but does not achieve better results in this area.
What are population health outcomes?
The overall message of the documentary is that universal healthcare is this for developed countries.
What is achievable or possible?