Anger in Sweden as elderly pay price for coronavirus strategy

[ehrnst]

36. No, actually, you are incorrect in your use of that terminology. You seem to be confusing

"universal health care" with "single payer," which the Vox article you shared does distinguish.

It's a common mistake with those uninformed one health policy, and a very emotional attachment to certain types of political messaging concerning health care reform.

"In effect" does not a health policy definition make.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

If not, this may:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/difference-between-universal-coverage-and-single-payer-system-1738546

Germany
Germany has universal coverage but does not operate a single-payer system. Instead, everyone living in Germany is required to maintain health coverage. Most employees in Germany are automatically enrolled in one of more than 100 non-profit "sickness funds," paid for by a combination of employee and employer contributions.

Alternatively, there are private health insurance plans available, but as of 2014, only about 11% of German residents choose private health insurance.5

Singapore
Singapore has universal coverage, and large health care expenses are covered (after a deductible) by a government-run insurance system called MediShield. But Singapore also requires everyone to contribute 8 to 10.5% of their income to a MediSave account.6

When patients need routine medical care, they can take money out of their MediSave accounts to pay for it, but the money can only be used for certain expenses, such as medications on a government-approved list.

In Singapore, the government directly subsidizes the cost of health care rather than the cost of insurance (as is the case with insurance plans purchased through the ACA health exchanges in the United States).

As a result, the amount people have to pay for their healthcare in Singapore is much lower than it would be under a U.S. model.

Japan
Japan has universal coverage but does not use a single-payer system. Coverage is mainly provided via thousands of competing health insurance plans in the Statutory Health Insurance System (SHIS). Residents are required to enroll in coverage and pay ongoing premiums for SHIS coverage, but there is also an option to buy private, supplemental health insurance.7

By implementing a less burdensome single-payer model (rather than the separate government, private, and government-linked private health insurance mechanisms we have in the United States), governments like Japan are able to better streamline their national healthcare delivery.

United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is an example of a country with universal coverage and a single-payer system. Technically speaking, the U.K. model can also be classified as socialized medicine since the government owns most of the hospitals and employs the medical providers.

Funding for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) comes from tax revenue. Residents can purchase private health insurance if they want to. It can be used for elective procedures in private hospitals or to gain faster access to care without the waiting period that might otherwise be imposed for non-emergency situations.