"Health is a right"

[bitter clinging swiftie]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

 

[g5000]

If government policy interferes with my access to health care, then it is impeding on my right to life.

 

[RightyTighty]

What kind of right is it?

A common sense one. A healthy society has a future. An unhealthy society has none.

common sense right
Lol ok

A society that doesn't take care of its members - isn't one.

You are welcome to live on an island of one. The rest of us will stay here and deal with reality.

individual responsibility. The whole point for this country. Take your collective ass and YOU move

Is the military draft a form of collective?

No, but the armed forces are. Paid for and working for the dreaded collective.

The courts, the police? Same thing.

 

[g5000]

None of this hullabaloo matters. The Naked Emperor and the Republicans have made single payer healthcare a 99.999999999 percent certainty for the US.

There will come a day when liberals will be hoisting glasses of organic beer to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell for giving them single payer.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

If government policy interferes with my access to health care, then it is impeding on my right to life.

The left thinks government has the right to manage your healthcare so i guess you're outta luck....

 

[RightyTighty]

If government policy interferes with my access to health care, then it is impeding on my right to life.

Not covering people does the same.

 

[g5000]

If government policy interferes with my access to health care, then it is impeding on my right to life.

Not covering people does the same.

It's not the government's job to provide me my necessities.

It's a nice and decent thing to do for those who can't provide for themselves through no fault of their own.

 

[RightyTighty]

None of this hullabaloo matters. The Naked Emperor and the Republicans have made single payer healthcare a 99.999999999 percent certainty for the US.

There will come a day when liberals will be hoisting glasses of organic beer to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell for giving them single payer.

From your keyboard to God's ear.

 

[RightyTighty]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

No guns are involved but the one that might have caused you to visit the ER.

 

[bitter clinging swiftie]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

No guns are involved but the one that might have caused you to visit the ER.

when the government mandates anything, guns ARE involved. re read hank reardon's speech to the courts in "atlas shrugged".

 

[easyt65]

It is not the Constitutionally required duty of the United States govt to pay for health care for Americans. Please point to where it states in it that govt-provided health care is a right.

 

[WaitingFor2020]

Ron Reagan passed a law saying sick have to be treated even if they don't have insurance.

So yeah, that's kind of a right .

So you can't answer..

What part of "yeah it's kind of a right " didn't you get .

I'll clarify. YES!!! it's a right .

Let me repeat the OP for the brain dead
What kind of right is it?

It's the same right that these countries seemed to have figured out:


Algeria
Algeria operates a public healthcare system. A network of hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries provide treatment to the population, with the Social Security system funding health services, although many people must still cover part of their costs due to the rates paid by the Social Security system unchanged since 1987. The poor are generally entitled to health services free of charge, while the wealthy pay for treatment according to a sliding scale.[3][4]

Botswana
Main article: Health in Botswana
Botswana operates a system of public medical centers, with 98% of health facilities in the country run by the government. All citizens are entitled to be treated in public facilities free of charge, though a nominal fee of ~70 BWP (~$6.60 USD) is typically charged for public health services except for sexual reproductive health services and antiretroviral therapy services, which are free.[5]

Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso operates a scheme called Universal Health Insurance (AMU) which provides universal healthcare to citizens. It is administered by two separate bodies, one for civilians and the other for the armed forces.[6]

Egypt
Main article: Healthcare in Egypt
Egypt operates a system of public hospitals and clinics through the Ministry of Health. Egyptian citizens can receive treatment at these facilities free of charge. However, those Egyptians who can afford it prefer to pay out of pocket for private healthcare.[7]

Ghana
Ghana operates the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide citizens with health insurance. The level of premiums citizens must pay varies according to their level of income. Most medical facilities are run directly by the Ministry of Health or Ghana Health Service.[8]

Mauritius
The Government of Mauritius operates a system of medical facilities that provide treatment to citizens free of charge.[9]

Morocco
Morocco operates a public health sector run by the government that operates 85% of the country's hospital beds. It deals mainly with the poor and rural populations, who cannot afford private healthcare. In addition, there is a non-profit health sector operated by the National Social Security Fund which covers 16% of the population. There is also a private sector for those who can afford it.[10]

Rwanda
Main article: Healthcare in Rwanda
Rwanda operates a system of universal health insurance through the Ministry of Health called Mutuelle de Santé (Mutual Health), a system of community-based insurance where people pay premiums based on their income level into local health insurance funds, with the wealthiest paying the highest premiums and required to cover a small percentage of their medical expenses, while those at the lowest income levels are exempt from paying premiums and can still utilize the services of their local health fund. In 2012, this system insured all but 4% of the population.[11]



Seychelles
The Government of Seychelles operates a system of medical facilities that provide treatment to citizens free of charge.

South Africa
Main article: Healthcare in South Africa
South Africa has a public healthcare system that provides services to the vast majority of the population, though it is chronically underfunded and understaffed, and a private system that is far better equipped, which covers the wealthier sectors of society.[12]

Tunisia
Tunisia operates a public healthcare system under the National Health Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie). All Tunisian citizens and residents can receive treatment in state-run hospitals and clinics free of charge.[13]


Bhutan
Main article: Health in Bhutan
The Royal Government of Bhutan maintains a policy of free and universal access to primary health care. As hospital facilities in the country are limited, patients with diseases that cannot be treated in Bhutan, such as cancer, are normally referred to hospitals in India for treatment. Such referral treatment is also carried out at the cost of the Royal Government.[29]

Hong Kong
Main article: Health in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has early health education, professional health services, and well-developed health care and medication system. The life expectancy is 84 for females and 78 for males,[30] which is the second highest in the world, and 2.94 infant mortality rate, the fourth lowest in the world.[31][32]

There are two medical schools in Hong Kong, and several schools offering courses in traditional Chinese medicine. The Hospital Authority is a statutory body that operates and manages all public hospitals. Hong Kong has high standards of medical practice. It has contributed to the development of liver transplantation, being the first in the world to carry out an adult to adult live donor liver transplant in 1993.[33]

India
Main article: Healthcare in India
India's healthcare system is dominated by the private sector, although there are various public healthcare systems like Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana in Maharashtra that provides free healthcare to those below the poverty line.[34][35] Currently, the majority of Indian citizens do not have health insurance, and must pay out of pocket for treatment. There are government hospitals that provide treatment at taxpayer expense. Some essential drugs are offered free of charge in these hospitals.


Israel
Health care in Israel as a percentage of GDP
Main article: Health care in Israel
Israel has a system of universal healthcare as set out by the 1995 National Health Insurance Law. The state is responsible for providing health services to all residents of the country, who can register with one of the four national health service funds. To be eligible, a citizen must pay a health insurance tax. Coverage includes medical diagnosis and treatment, preventive medicine, hospitalization (general, maternity, psychiatric and chronic), surgery and transplants, preventive dental care for children, first aid and transportation to a hospital or clinic, medical services at the workplace, treatment for drug abuse and alcoholism, medical equipment and appliances, obstetrics and fertility treatment, medication, treatment of chronic diseases and paramedical services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.[37]

Macau
Main article: Healthcare in Macau
Macau offers universally accessible single-payer system funded by taxes. Health care is provided by the Bureau for Health.

People's Republic of China
Main article: Healthcare reform in China
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the goal of health care programs has been to provide care to every member of the population and to make maximum use of limited health-care personnel, equipment, and financial resources.

China is undertaking a reform on its health care system, which was largely privatized in the 1990s. The New Rural Co-operative Medical Care System (NRCMCS), is a new 2005 initiative to overhaul the healthcare system, particularly intended to make it more affordable for the rural poor. Under the NRCMCS, the annual cost of medical coverage is 50 yuan (US$7) per person. Of that, 20 yuan is paid in by the central government, 20 yuan by the provincial government and a contribution of 10 yuan is made by the patient. As of September 2007, around 80% of the whole rural population of China had signed up (about 685 million people).

Singapore
Main article: Healthcare in Singapore
Singapore has a universal health care system where government ensures affordability, largely through compulsory savings and price controls, while the private sector provides most care. Overall spending on health care amounts to only 3% of annual GDP. Of that, 66% comes from private sources.[42]Singapore currently has the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world and among the highest life expectancies from birth, according to the World Health Organization.[43] 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," according to an analysis by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt.[44] Singapore's system uses a combination of compulsory savings from payroll deductions (funded by both employers and workers) a nationalized health insurance plan, and government subsidies, as well as "actively regulating the supply and prices of healthcare services in the country" to keep costs in check; the specific features have been described as potentially a "very difficult system to replicate in many other countries." Many Singaporeans also have supplemental private health insurance (often provided by employers) for services not covered by the government's programs.[44]

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka provides free universal healthcare to their citizens.[45]

Taiwan
Main article: Healthcare in Taiwan
The current health care system in Taiwan, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), was instituted in 1995. NHI is a single-payer compulsory social insurance plan which centralizes the disbursement of health care dollars. The system promises equal access to health care for all citizens, and the population coverage had reached 99% by the end of 2004.[46] NHI is mainly financed through premiums, which are based on the payroll tax, and is supplemented with out-of-pocket payments and direct government funding. In the initial stage, fee-for-service predominated for both public and private providers.


Thailand
Main article: Health in Thailand
Thailand introduced universal coverage reforms in 2001, becoming one of only a handful of lower-middle income countries to do so at the time. Means-tested health care for low income households was replaced by a new and more comprehensive insurance scheme, originally known as the 30 baht project, in line with the small co-payment charged for treatment. People joining the scheme receive a gold card which allows them to access services in their health district, and, if necessary, be referred for specialist treatment elsewhere. The bulk of finance comes from public revenues, with funding allocated to Contracting Units for Primary Care annually on a population basis. According to the WHO, 65% of Thailand's health care expenditure in 2004 came from the government, 35% was from private sources.[42] Although the reforms have received a good deal of critical comment, they have proved popular with poorer Thais, especially in rural areas, and survived the change of government after the 2006 military coup. The then Public Health Minister, Mongkol Na Songkhla, abolished the 30 baht co-payment and made the UC scheme free. It is not yet clear whether the scheme will be modified further under the coalition government that came to power in January 2008.[49][50][51]


Austria
Main article: Healthcare in Austria
Healthcare in Austria is universal for residents of Austria as well as those from other EU countries.[57] Austria has a two-tier health care system in which many individuals receive publicly funded care; they also have the option to purchase supplementary private health insurance.

Croatia
Main article: Healthcare in Croatia
Croatia has a universal health care system that provides high quality medical services and is coordinated by the Ministry of Health. The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance and administered by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. In 2012, annual compulsory healthcare related expenditures reached 21.0 billion kunas (c. 2.8 billion euro). There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 79 hospitals and clinics with 25,285 beds, caring for more than 760 thousand patients per year, 5,792 private practice offices and 79 emergency medical service units.

Czech Republic
Main article: Healthcare in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation. Private health care systems do co-exist freely alongside public ones, sometimes offering better quality or faster service. Almost all medical services are covered by health insurance and insurance companies, though certain services such as prescription drugs or vision and dental care are only covered partially.

Denmark
Main article: Health care in Denmark
Denmark has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation with local municipalities delivering health care services in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Primary care is provided by a general practitioner service run by private doctors contracting with the local municipalities with payment on a mixed per capita and fee for service basis. Most hospitals are run by the municipalities (only 1% of hospital beds are in the private sector).

Finland
Main article: Healthcare in Finland
In Finland, public medical services at clinics and hospitals are run by the municipalities (local government) and are funded 76% by taxation, 20% by patients through access charges, and 4% by others. Private provision is mainly in the primary care sector. There are a few private hospitals.[58] The main hospitals are either municipally owned (funded from local taxes) or run by the medical teaching universities (funded jointly by the municipalities and the national government).

France
Main article: Health care in France
France has a system of universal health care largely financed by government through a system of national health insurance. Nonetheless, not all medical care is paid for by the state, with only 70% of initial GP care covered and anywhere between 35% and 100% of prescription medication covered. It is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world.[66]

Georgia
Main article: Healthcare in Georgia
In 2013, Georgia adopted a universal health care system.[67][68]

Germany
The Charité (Hospital) in Berlin
Germany has the world's oldest national social health insurance system,[69][70][71] with origins dating back to Otto von Bismarck's Sickness Insurance Law of 1883.[72][73] The system is decentralized with private practice physicians providing ambulatory care, and independent, mostly non-profit hospitals providing the majority of inpatient care. Approximately 92% of the population is covered by a 'Statutory Health Insurance' plan, which provides a standardized level of coverage through any one of approximately 1100 public or private sickness funds. Standard insurance is funded by a combination of employee contributions, employer contributions and government subsidies on a scale determined by income level. Higher income workers sometimes choose to pay a tax and opt out of the standard plan, in favor of 'private' insurance. The latter's premiums are not linked to income level but instead to health status.[74]

Greece
Main article: Healthcare in Greece
The Greek healthcare system provides high quality medical services to insured citizens and is coordinated by the Ministry for Health and Social Solidarity. Public health services are provided by the National Healthcare Service, or ESY (Greek: Εθνικό Σύστημα Υγείας, ΕΣΥ). In 2010 there were 35,000 hospital beds and 131 hospitals in the country.

The Greek healthcare system has received high rankings by the World Health Organization, ranked 14th in the overall assessment and 11th in quality of service in a 2000 report by the WHO.

Guernsey / Jersey
The medical care system in the Channel Islands is very similar to that of the UK in that many of the doctors and nurses have been trained from the UK health perspective. There is universal health care for residents of the islands.[80]

Iceland
Main article: Healthcare in Iceland
Iceland has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation with local municipalities delivering health care services in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Iceland's entire population has equal access to health care services.

Ireland
Main article: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland
The public health care system of the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Health Act 2004,[81] which established a new body to be responsible for providing health and personal social services to everyone living in Ireland – the Health Service Executive. The new national health service came into being officially on January 1, 2005; however the new structures are currently in the process of being established as the reform program continues. In addition to the public-sector, there is also a large private health care market.


Isle of Man
The Isle of Man provides universal public health coverage to its residents.[82]

Italy
Main article: Healthcare in Italy
Italy has a public health care service for all the residents called "Servizio Sanitario Nazionale" or SSN (National Health Service) which is similar to the UK National Health Service. It is publicly run and funded mostly from taxation: some services requires small co-pays, while other services (like the emergency medicine and the general doctor) are completely free of charge. Like the UK, there is a small parallel private health care system, especially in the field of Dental Medicine.

Luxembourg
Luxembourg provides universal health care coverage to all residents (Luxembourgers and foreigners) by the National Health Insurance (CNS - Caisse nationale de santé (French) or National Gesondheetskeess (Luxembourgish)) which is funded by mandatory contributions of employers and the workforce and by government subsidies for insuring jobseekers, the poor and for financing medical infrastructure. It exists as well a mandatory public long-term care insurance.[83][84]

Netherlands
Main article: Healthcare in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a dual-level system. All primary and curative care (i.e. the family doctor service and hospitals and clinics) is financed from private compulsory insurance. Long term care for the elderly, the dying, the long term mentally ill etc. is covered by social insurance funded from taxation. According to the WHO, the health care system in the Netherlands was 62% government funded and 38% privately funded as of 2004.[42]

Norway
Main article: Healthcare in Norway
Norway has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Norway's entire population has equal access to health care services. The Norwegian health care system is government-funded and heavily decentralized. The health care system in Norway is financed primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities. Dental care is included for children until 18 years old, and is covered for adults for some ailments.[85]

Norway regularly comes top or close to the top of worldwide healthcare rankings.

Portugal
Main article: Health in Portugal
Portugal's National Healthcare Service, known nationally as Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), is a universal and free healthcare service, provided nationwide since 1979, and is available to both Portuguese and foreigner residents. In 2014, Portugal SNS ranked 13th best healthcare service in Europe.[86] The National Medical Emergency Institute (INEM) is the main emergency medical serviced and can be activated by calling 112.

Romania
Main article: Healthcare in Romania
According to Article 34 of the Constitution of Romania, the state is obliged "to guarantee the protection of healthcare". Romania has a fully universal health care system, which covers up medical check-ups, any surgical interventions, and any post-operator medical care, as well as free or subsidized medicine for a range of diseases. The state is also obliged to fund public hospitals and clinics. Dental care is not funded by the state, although there are public dental clinics in some hospitals, which treat patients free of charge. However, due to inadequate funding and corruption, it is estimated that a third of medical expenses are, in some cases, supported by the patient.[87][clarification needed] Furthermore, Romania spends, per capita, less than any other EU state on medical care.

Russia and Soviet Union
Main article: Healthcare in Russia
In the Soviet Union, the preferred term was "socialist medicine"; the Russian language has no term to distinguish between "socialist" and "socialized" (other than "public", Rus: obshchestvenniy/общественный, sometimes "collectivized" or "nationalized", Rus: obobshchestvlenniy/обобществленный).[88][89]

Serbia
Main article: Healthcare in Serbia
The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia states that it is a right of every citizen to seek medical assistance free of charge.[95] This is achieved by mutual contribution to the Compulsory Social Healthcare Fund of RZZO (Republički Zavod za Zdravstveno Osiguranje or National Health Insurance Institution). The amount of contribution depends on the amount of money the person is making. During the 1990s, Serbia's healthcare system has been of a poor quality due to severe underfunding. In the recent years, however, that has changed and the Serbian government has invested heavily in new medical infrastructure, completely remodeling existing hospitals and building two new hospitals in Novi Sad and Kragujevac.

Sweden
Main article: Healthcare in Sweden
Sweden has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Sweden's entire population has equal access to health care services. The Swedish public health system is funded through taxes levied by the county councils, but partly run by private companies. Government-paid dental care for those under 21 years old is included in the system, and dental care for those older is somewhat subsidised by it.

Switzerland
Main article: Healthcare in Switzerland
Healthcare in Switzerland is universal and is regulated by the Federal Health Insurance Act of 1994. Basic health insurance is mandatory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country). Insurers are required to offer insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition. They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance, but can on supplemental plans.[97]

United Kingdom
Main article: Healthcare in the United Kingdom
Each of the Countries of the United Kingdom has a National Health Service that provides public healthcare to all UK permanent residents that was originally designed to be free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation; but changes included introducing charging for prescription medicines and dentistry (those below 16 and those on certain benefits may still get free treatment). However, since Health is now a devolved matter, considerable differences are developing between the systems in each of the countries as for example Scotland abolished prescription charges.[98] Private healthcare companies are free to operate alongside the public one.

Northern Ireland
Main article: Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland is the designation of the national public health service in Northern Ireland.

ScotlandThe Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital is a specialist children's hospital within NHS Scotland.
Main article: Healthcare in Scotland
NHS Scotland, created by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947, was also launched on 5 July 1948, although it has always been a separate organization. Since devolution, NHS Scotland has followed the policies and priorities of the Scottish Government, including the phasing out of all prescription charges by 2011.[citation needed]

Wales
Main article: Healthcare in Wales
NHS Wales was originally formed as part of the same NHS structure created by the National Health Service Act 1946 but powers over the NHS in Wales came under the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969,[108] in turn being transferred under devolution to what is now the Welsh Government.


The Bahamas
The Bahamas approved the National Health Insurance Act in August 2016. The legislation allows for the establishment of a universal health coverage system that will begin with universal coverage of primary health care services and later expand to include a wide set of benefits including all specialized care. The system will allow for universal coverage of a basic benefit package and for voluntary insurance to be purchased as a top up policy to cover services or amenities that are not included in the government plan.[109]

Canada
Main article: Health care in Canada
In 1984, the Canada Health Act was passed, which prohibited extra billing by doctors on patients while at the same time billing the public insurance system. In 1999, the prime minister and most premiers reaffirmed in the Social Union Framework Agreement that they are committed to health care that has "comprehensiveness, universality, portability, public administration and accessibility."[110]

Costa Rica
Universal healthcare and pensions are run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). In 1941, Costa Rica established Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), a social security insurance system for wage-earning workers. In 1961, coverage was expanded to include workers’ dependents and from 1961 to 1975, a series of expansions extended coverage for primary care and outpatient and inpatient specialized services to people in rural areas, the low-income population, and certain vulnerable populations. Further expansions during the late 1970s extended insurance coverage to farmers, peasants, and independent contract workers. Additionally, CCSS mandates free health service provision to mothers, children, indigenous people, the elderly, and people living with disabilities, regardless of insurance coverage. By 2000, 82 percent of the population was eligible for CCSS, which has continued to expand in the ensuing period. By covering all population groups through the same system, Costa Rica has avoided social insurance stratification and inequity common in many other countries in the region.[117]


Cuba
Main article: Healthcare in Cuba
The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of all its citizens. There are no private hospitals or clinics as all health services are government-run. The present Minister for Public Health is Roberto Morales Ojeda. However, although the coverage is wide, the system is underfunded and recently also understaffed. The government organized medical missions in other countries has taken a very significat amount of doctors and other personal. In 2005 there were 25,000 Cuban doctors in Venezuela.

Mexico
Main article: Healthcare in Mexico
Public health care delivery is accomplished via an elaborate provisioning and delivery system instituted by the Mexican Federal Government. Public health care is provided to all Mexican citizens as guaranteed via Article 4 of the Constitution. Public care is either fully or partially subsidized by the federal government, depending on the person's (Spanish: derechohabiente's) employment status. All Mexican citizens are eligible for subsidized health care regardless of their work status via a system of health care facilities operating under the federal Secretariat of Health (formerly the Secretaria de Salubridad y Asistencia, or SSA) agency.

Trinidad and Tobago
Main article: Healthcare in Trinidad and Tobago
A universal health care system is used in Trinidad and Tobago and is the primary form of health-care available in the country. It is used by the majority of the population seeking medical assistance, as it is free for all citizens.

Argentina
Main article: Health care in Argentina
Health care is provided through a combination of employer and labor union-sponsored plans (Obras Sociales), government insurance plans, public hospitals and clinics and through private health insurance plans. It costs almost 10% of GDP and is available to anyone regardless of ideology, beliefs, race or nationality.

Brazil
Main article: Healthcare in Brazil
The universal health care system was adopted in Brazil in 1988 after the end of the military regime's rule. However, universalized/socialized health care was available many years before, in some cities, once the 27th amendment to the 1969 Constitution imposed the duty of applying 6% of their income in healthcare on the municipalities.[134]

Chile
Main article: Healthcare in Chile
Health care in Chile is provided by the government (via Fonasa) and by private insurers (via Isapre). All workers and pensioners are mandated to pay 7% of their income for health care insurance (the poorest pensioners are exempt from this payment). Workers who choose not to join an Isapre, are automatically covered by Fonasa. Fonasa also covers unemployed people receiving unemployment benefits, uninsured pregnant women, insured worker's dependant family, people with mental or physical disabilities and people who are considered poor or indigent.

Colombia
Main article: Health care in Colombia
In 1993 a reform transformed the health care system in Colombia, trying to provide a better, sustainable, health care system and to reach every Colombian citizen.

Peru
Main article: Healthcare in Peru
On April 10, 2009, the Government of Peru published the Law on Health Insurance to enable all Peruvians to access quality health services, and contribute to regulate the financing and supervision of these services. The law enables all population to access diverse health services to prevent illnesses, and promote and rehabilitate people, under a Health Basic Plan (PEAS).[135][136]

Australia
Main articles: Medicare (Australia) and Health care in Australia

Medicare logo
In Australia, Medibank — as it was then known — was introduced, by the Whitlam Labor government on July 1, 1975, through the Health Insurance Act 1973. The Australian Senate rejected the changes multiple times and they were passed only after a joint sitting after the 1974 double dissolution election. However, Medibank was supported by the subsequent Fraser Coalition (Australia) government and became a key feature of Australia's public policy landscape. The exact structure of Medibank/Medicare, in terms of the size of the rebate to doctors and hospitals and the way it has administered, has varied over the years. The original Medibank program proposed a 1.35% levy (with low income exemptions) but these bills were rejected by the Senate, and so Medibank was funded from general taxation. In 1976, the Fraser Government introduced a 2.5% levy and split Medibank in two: a universal scheme called Medibank Public and a government-owned private health insurance company, Medibank Private.


New Zealand
Main article: Health care in New Zealand
As with Australia, New Zealand's healthcare system is funded through general taxation. According to the WHO, government sources covered 77.4% of New Zealand's health care costs in 2004; private expenditures covered the remaining 22.6%.[42]


ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

 

[RightyTighty]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

No guns are involved but the one that might have caused you to visit the ER.

when the government mandates anything, guns ARE involved. re read hank reardon's speech to the courts in "atlas shrugged".

Ayn Rand is for stupid teenage boys. And she died nuts and on Social Security.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

If government policy interferes with my access to health care, then it is impeding on my right to life.

Not covering people does the same.

Since you believe healthcare is a right........do you also believe that government has a right to your paycheck?

 

[NYcarbineer]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

At gunpoint? I thought the 2nd Amendment protected your right to keep and bear arms? And use them.

lol

 

[ScreamingEagle]

you have a right to healthcare in the sense that you have a right to seek whatever medical attention you need without the government impeding you, not a right to the products and services of others at gunpoint.

No guns are involved but the one that might have caused you to visit the ER.

when the government mandates anything, guns ARE involved. re read hank reardon's speech to the courts in "atlas shrugged".

Ayn Rand is for stupid teenage boys. And she died nuts and on Social Security.

She knew more about freedom than you ever thought of....

 

[deltex1]

Maybe that poster meant healthcare?
What kind if right is that?
Fuck do people mean by that?

Whatever the term it's not a right...it's an individual responsibility.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Many people say that the government can't grant you rights, that the government only exists to protect the rights you already have - given by your Creator as the D of I says.

With this thread you see the clear flaw in that argument (one I've pointed out many a time)

Who decides what are and aren't your natural rights?

 

[iceberg]

what people seem to forget, not understand or just don't care is - the ONLY reason we have *rights* is because we define them and we work to defend them. these are not default mankind rights, these are rights *we the people* say we should have. this can and will change over time.

go to much of africa and declare your "rights" for all these things and tell me how far you get or how painful the death is.

if we continue to argue and bicker who will be here to defend these "rights" we think we're owed? rights are a responsibility - pure and simple. not an entitlement.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Ron Reagan passed a law saying sick have to be treated even if they don't have insurance.

So yeah, that's kind of a right .

So you can't answer..

What part of "yeah it's kind of a right " didn't you get .

I'll clarify. YES!!! it's a right .

Let me repeat the OP for the brain dead
What kind of right is it?

It's the same right that these countries seemed to have figured out:


Algeria
Algeria operates a public healthcare system. A network of hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries provide treatment to the population, with the Social Security system funding health services, although many people must still cover part of their costs due to the rates paid by the Social Security system unchanged since 1987. The poor are generally entitled to health services free of charge, while the wealthy pay for treatment according to a sliding scale.[3][4]

Botswana
Main article: Health in Botswana
Botswana operates a system of public medical centers, with 98% of health facilities in the country run by the government. All citizens are entitled to be treated in public facilities free of charge, though a nominal fee of ~70 BWP (~$6.60 USD) is typically charged for public health services except for sexual reproductive health services and antiretroviral therapy services, which are free.[5]

Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso operates a scheme called Universal Health Insurance (AMU) which provides universal healthcare to citizens. It is administered by two separate bodies, one for civilians and the other for the armed forces.[6]

Egypt
Main article: Healthcare in Egypt
Egypt operates a system of public hospitals and clinics through the Ministry of Health. Egyptian citizens can receive treatment at these facilities free of charge. However, those Egyptians who can afford it prefer to pay out of pocket for private healthcare.[7]

Ghana
Ghana operates the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide citizens with health insurance. The level of premiums citizens must pay varies according to their level of income. Most medical facilities are run directly by the Ministry of Health or Ghana Health Service.[8]

Mauritius
The Government of Mauritius operates a system of medical facilities that provide treatment to citizens free of charge.[9]

Morocco
Morocco operates a public health sector run by the government that operates 85% of the country's hospital beds. It deals mainly with the poor and rural populations, who cannot afford private healthcare. In addition, there is a non-profit health sector operated by the National Social Security Fund which covers 16% of the population. There is also a private sector for those who can afford it.[10]

Rwanda
Main article: Healthcare in Rwanda
Rwanda operates a system of universal health insurance through the Ministry of Health called Mutuelle de Santé (Mutual Health), a system of community-based insurance where people pay premiums based on their income level into local health insurance funds, with the wealthiest paying the highest premiums and required to cover a small percentage of their medical expenses, while those at the lowest income levels are exempt from paying premiums and can still utilize the services of their local health fund. In 2012, this system insured all but 4% of the population.[11]



Seychelles
The Government of Seychelles operates a system of medical facilities that provide treatment to citizens free of charge.

South Africa
Main article: Healthcare in South Africa
South Africa has a public healthcare system that provides services to the vast majority of the population, though it is chronically underfunded and understaffed, and a private system that is far better equipped, which covers the wealthier sectors of society.[12]

Tunisia
Tunisia operates a public healthcare system under the National Health Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie). All Tunisian citizens and residents can receive treatment in state-run hospitals and clinics free of charge.[13]


Bhutan
Main article: Health in Bhutan
The Royal Government of Bhutan maintains a policy of free and universal access to primary health care. As hospital facilities in the country are limited, patients with diseases that cannot be treated in Bhutan, such as cancer, are normally referred to hospitals in India for treatment. Such referral treatment is also carried out at the cost of the Royal Government.[29]

Hong Kong
Main article: Health in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has early health education, professional health services, and well-developed health care and medication system. The life expectancy is 84 for females and 78 for males,[30] which is the second highest in the world, and 2.94 infant mortality rate, the fourth lowest in the world.[31][32]

There are two medical schools in Hong Kong, and several schools offering courses in traditional Chinese medicine. The Hospital Authority is a statutory body that operates and manages all public hospitals. Hong Kong has high standards of medical practice. It has contributed to the development of liver transplantation, being the first in the world to carry out an adult to adult live donor liver transplant in 1993.[33]

India
Main article: Healthcare in India
India's healthcare system is dominated by the private sector, although there are various public healthcare systems like Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana in Maharashtra that provides free healthcare to those below the poverty line.[34][35] Currently, the majority of Indian citizens do not have health insurance, and must pay out of pocket for treatment. There are government hospitals that provide treatment at taxpayer expense. Some essential drugs are offered free of charge in these hospitals.


Israel
Health care in Israel as a percentage of GDP
Main article: Health care in Israel
Israel has a system of universal healthcare as set out by the 1995 National Health Insurance Law. The state is responsible for providing health services to all residents of the country, who can register with one of the four national health service funds. To be eligible, a citizen must pay a health insurance tax. Coverage includes medical diagnosis and treatment, preventive medicine, hospitalization (general, maternity, psychiatric and chronic), surgery and transplants, preventive dental care for children, first aid and transportation to a hospital or clinic, medical services at the workplace, treatment for drug abuse and alcoholism, medical equipment and appliances, obstetrics and fertility treatment, medication, treatment of chronic diseases and paramedical services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.[37]

Macau
Main article: Healthcare in Macau
Macau offers universally accessible single-payer system funded by taxes. Health care is provided by the Bureau for Health.

People's Republic of China
Main article: Healthcare reform in China
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the goal of health care programs has been to provide care to every member of the population and to make maximum use of limited health-care personnel, equipment, and financial resources.

China is undertaking a reform on its health care system, which was largely privatized in the 1990s. The New Rural Co-operative Medical Care System (NRCMCS), is a new 2005 initiative to overhaul the healthcare system, particularly intended to make it more affordable for the rural poor. Under the NRCMCS, the annual cost of medical coverage is 50 yuan (US$7) per person. Of that, 20 yuan is paid in by the central government, 20 yuan by the provincial government and a contribution of 10 yuan is made by the patient. As of September 2007, around 80% of the whole rural population of China had signed up (about 685 million people).

Singapore
Main article: Healthcare in Singapore
Singapore has a universal health care system where government ensures affordability, largely through compulsory savings and price controls, while the private sector provides most care. Overall spending on health care amounts to only 3% of annual GDP. Of that, 66% comes from private sources.[42]Singapore currently has the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world and among the highest life expectancies from birth, according to the World Health Organization.[43] 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," according to an analysis by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt.[44] Singapore's system uses a combination of compulsory savings from payroll deductions (funded by both employers and workers) a nationalized health insurance plan, and government subsidies, as well as "actively regulating the supply and prices of healthcare services in the country" to keep costs in check; the specific features have been described as potentially a "very difficult system to replicate in many other countries." Many Singaporeans also have supplemental private health insurance (often provided by employers) for services not covered by the government's programs.[44]

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka provides free universal healthcare to their citizens.[45]

Taiwan
Main article: Healthcare in Taiwan
The current health care system in Taiwan, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), was instituted in 1995. NHI is a single-payer compulsory social insurance plan which centralizes the disbursement of health care dollars. The system promises equal access to health care for all citizens, and the population coverage had reached 99% by the end of 2004.[46] NHI is mainly financed through premiums, which are based on the payroll tax, and is supplemented with out-of-pocket payments and direct government funding. In the initial stage, fee-for-service predominated for both public and private providers.


Thailand
Main article: Health in Thailand
Thailand introduced universal coverage reforms in 2001, becoming one of only a handful of lower-middle income countries to do so at the time. Means-tested health care for low income households was replaced by a new and more comprehensive insurance scheme, originally known as the 30 baht project, in line with the small co-payment charged for treatment. People joining the scheme receive a gold card which allows them to access services in their health district, and, if necessary, be referred for specialist treatment elsewhere. The bulk of finance comes from public revenues, with funding allocated to Contracting Units for Primary Care annually on a population basis. According to the WHO, 65% of Thailand's health care expenditure in 2004 came from the government, 35% was from private sources.[42] Although the reforms have received a good deal of critical comment, they have proved popular with poorer Thais, especially in rural areas, and survived the change of government after the 2006 military coup. The then Public Health Minister, Mongkol Na Songkhla, abolished the 30 baht co-payment and made the UC scheme free. It is not yet clear whether the scheme will be modified further under the coalition government that came to power in January 2008.[49][50][51]


Austria
Main article: Healthcare in Austria
Healthcare in Austria is universal for residents of Austria as well as those from other EU countries.[57] Austria has a two-tier health care system in which many individuals receive publicly funded care; they also have the option to purchase supplementary private health insurance.

Croatia
Main article: Healthcare in Croatia
Croatia has a universal health care system that provides high quality medical services and is coordinated by the Ministry of Health. The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance and administered by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. In 2012, annual compulsory healthcare related expenditures reached 21.0 billion kunas (c. 2.8 billion euro). There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 79 hospitals and clinics with 25,285 beds, caring for more than 760 thousand patients per year, 5,792 private practice offices and 79 emergency medical service units.

Czech Republic
Main article: Healthcare in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation. Private health care systems do co-exist freely alongside public ones, sometimes offering better quality or faster service. Almost all medical services are covered by health insurance and insurance companies, though certain services such as prescription drugs or vision and dental care are only covered partially.

Denmark
Main article: Health care in Denmark
Denmark has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation with local municipalities delivering health care services in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Primary care is provided by a general practitioner service run by private doctors contracting with the local municipalities with payment on a mixed per capita and fee for service basis. Most hospitals are run by the municipalities (only 1% of hospital beds are in the private sector).

Finland
Main article: Healthcare in Finland
In Finland, public medical services at clinics and hospitals are run by the municipalities (local government) and are funded 76% by taxation, 20% by patients through access charges, and 4% by others. Private provision is mainly in the primary care sector. There are a few private hospitals.[58] The main hospitals are either municipally owned (funded from local taxes) or run by the medical teaching universities (funded jointly by the municipalities and the national government).

France
Main article: Health care in France
France has a system of universal health care largely financed by government through a system of national health insurance. Nonetheless, not all medical care is paid for by the state, with only 70% of initial GP care covered and anywhere between 35% and 100% of prescription medication covered. It is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world.[66]

Georgia
Main article: Healthcare in Georgia
In 2013, Georgia adopted a universal health care system.[67][68]

Germany
The Charité (Hospital) in Berlin
Germany has the world's oldest national social health insurance system,[69][70][71] with origins dating back to Otto von Bismarck's Sickness Insurance Law of 1883.[72][73] The system is decentralized with private practice physicians providing ambulatory care, and independent, mostly non-profit hospitals providing the majority of inpatient care. Approximately 92% of the population is covered by a 'Statutory Health Insurance' plan, which provides a standardized level of coverage through any one of approximately 1100 public or private sickness funds. Standard insurance is funded by a combination of employee contributions, employer contributions and government subsidies on a scale determined by income level. Higher income workers sometimes choose to pay a tax and opt out of the standard plan, in favor of 'private' insurance. The latter's premiums are not linked to income level but instead to health status.[74]

Greece
Main article: Healthcare in Greece
The Greek healthcare system provides high quality medical services to insured citizens and is coordinated by the Ministry for Health and Social Solidarity. Public health services are provided by the National Healthcare Service, or ESY (Greek: Εθνικό Σύστημα Υγείας, ΕΣΥ). In 2010 there were 35,000 hospital beds and 131 hospitals in the country.

The Greek healthcare system has received high rankings by the World Health Organization, ranked 14th in the overall assessment and 11th in quality of service in a 2000 report by the WHO.

Guernsey / Jersey
The medical care system in the Channel Islands is very similar to that of the UK in that many of the doctors and nurses have been trained from the UK health perspective. There is universal health care for residents of the islands.[80]

Iceland
Main article: Healthcare in Iceland
Iceland has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation with local municipalities delivering health care services in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Iceland's entire population has equal access to health care services.

Ireland
Main article: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland
The public health care system of the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Health Act 2004,[81] which established a new body to be responsible for providing health and personal social services to everyone living in Ireland – the Health Service Executive. The new national health service came into being officially on January 1, 2005; however the new structures are currently in the process of being established as the reform program continues. In addition to the public-sector, there is also a large private health care market.


Isle of Man
The Isle of Man provides universal public health coverage to its residents.[82]

Italy
Main article: Healthcare in Italy
Italy has a public health care service for all the residents called "Servizio Sanitario Nazionale" or SSN (National Health Service) which is similar to the UK National Health Service. It is publicly run and funded mostly from taxation: some services requires small co-pays, while other services (like the emergency medicine and the general doctor) are completely free of charge. Like the UK, there is a small parallel private health care system, especially in the field of Dental Medicine.

Luxembourg
Luxembourg provides universal health care coverage to all residents (Luxembourgers and foreigners) by the National Health Insurance (CNS - Caisse nationale de santé (French) or National Gesondheetskeess (Luxembourgish)) which is funded by mandatory contributions of employers and the workforce and by government subsidies for insuring jobseekers, the poor and for financing medical infrastructure. It exists as well a mandatory public long-term care insurance.[83][84]

Netherlands
Main article: Healthcare in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a dual-level system. All primary and curative care (i.e. the family doctor service and hospitals and clinics) is financed from private compulsory insurance. Long term care for the elderly, the dying, the long term mentally ill etc. is covered by social insurance funded from taxation. According to the WHO, the health care system in the Netherlands was 62% government funded and 38% privately funded as of 2004.[42]

Norway
Main article: Healthcare in Norway
Norway has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Norway's entire population has equal access to health care services. The Norwegian health care system is government-funded and heavily decentralized. The health care system in Norway is financed primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities. Dental care is included for children until 18 years old, and is covered for adults for some ailments.[85]

Norway regularly comes top or close to the top of worldwide healthcare rankings.

Portugal
Main article: Health in Portugal
Portugal's National Healthcare Service, known nationally as Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), is a universal and free healthcare service, provided nationwide since 1979, and is available to both Portuguese and foreigner residents. In 2014, Portugal SNS ranked 13th best healthcare service in Europe.[86] The National Medical Emergency Institute (INEM) is the main emergency medical serviced and can be activated by calling 112.

Romania
Main article: Healthcare in Romania
According to Article 34 of the Constitution of Romania, the state is obliged "to guarantee the protection of healthcare". Romania has a fully universal health care system, which covers up medical check-ups, any surgical interventions, and any post-operator medical care, as well as free or subsidized medicine for a range of diseases. The state is also obliged to fund public hospitals and clinics. Dental care is not funded by the state, although there are public dental clinics in some hospitals, which treat patients free of charge. However, due to inadequate funding and corruption, it is estimated that a third of medical expenses are, in some cases, supported by the patient.[87][clarification needed] Furthermore, Romania spends, per capita, less than any other EU state on medical care.

Russia and Soviet Union
Main article: Healthcare in Russia
In the Soviet Union, the preferred term was "socialist medicine"; the Russian language has no term to distinguish between "socialist" and "socialized" (other than "public", Rus: obshchestvenniy/общественный, sometimes "collectivized" or "nationalized", Rus: obobshchestvlenniy/обобществленный).[88][89]

Serbia
Main article: Healthcare in Serbia
The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia states that it is a right of every citizen to seek medical assistance free of charge.[95] This is achieved by mutual contribution to the Compulsory Social Healthcare Fund of RZZO (Republički Zavod za Zdravstveno Osiguranje or National Health Insurance Institution). The amount of contribution depends on the amount of money the person is making. During the 1990s, Serbia's healthcare system has been of a poor quality due to severe underfunding. In the recent years, however, that has changed and the Serbian government has invested heavily in new medical infrastructure, completely remodeling existing hospitals and building two new hospitals in Novi Sad and Kragujevac.

Sweden
Main article: Healthcare in Sweden
Sweden has a universal public health system paid largely from taxation in the same way as other Scandinavian countries. Sweden's entire population has equal access to health care services. The Swedish public health system is funded through taxes levied by the county councils, but partly run by private companies. Government-paid dental care for those under 21 years old is included in the system, and dental care for those older is somewhat subsidised by it.

Switzerland
Main article: Healthcare in Switzerland
Healthcare in Switzerland is universal and is regulated by the Federal Health Insurance Act of 1994. Basic health insurance is mandatory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country). Insurers are required to offer insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition. They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance, but can on supplemental plans.[97]

United Kingdom
Main article: Healthcare in the United Kingdom
Each of the Countries of the United Kingdom has a National Health Service that provides public healthcare to all UK permanent residents that was originally designed to be free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation; but changes included introducing charging for prescription medicines and dentistry (those below 16 and those on certain benefits may still get free treatment). However, since Health is now a devolved matter, considerable differences are developing between the systems in each of the countries as for example Scotland abolished prescription charges.[98] Private healthcare companies are free to operate alongside the public one.

Northern Ireland
Main article: Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland is the designation of the national public health service in Northern Ireland.

ScotlandThe Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital is a specialist children's hospital within NHS Scotland.
Main article: Healthcare in Scotland
NHS Scotland, created by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947, was also launched on 5 July 1948, although it has always been a separate organization. Since devolution, NHS Scotland has followed the policies and priorities of the Scottish Government, including the phasing out of all prescription charges by 2011.[citation needed]

Wales
Main article: Healthcare in Wales
NHS Wales was originally formed as part of the same NHS structure created by the National Health Service Act 1946 but powers over the NHS in Wales came under the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969,[108] in turn being transferred under devolution to what is now the Welsh Government.


The Bahamas
The Bahamas approved the National Health Insurance Act in August 2016. The legislation allows for the establishment of a universal health coverage system that will begin with universal coverage of primary health care services and later expand to include a wide set of benefits including all specialized care. The system will allow for universal coverage of a basic benefit package and for voluntary insurance to be purchased as a top up policy to cover services or amenities that are not included in the government plan.[109]

Canada
Main article: Health care in Canada
In 1984, the Canada Health Act was passed, which prohibited extra billing by doctors on patients while at the same time billing the public insurance system. In 1999, the prime minister and most premiers reaffirmed in the Social Union Framework Agreement that they are committed to health care that has "comprehensiveness, universality, portability, public administration and accessibility."[110]

Costa Rica
Universal healthcare and pensions are run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). In 1941, Costa Rica established Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), a social security insurance system for wage-earning workers. In 1961, coverage was expanded to include workers’ dependents and from 1961 to 1975, a series of expansions extended coverage for primary care and outpatient and inpatient specialized services to people in rural areas, the low-income population, and certain vulnerable populations. Further expansions during the late 1970s extended insurance coverage to farmers, peasants, and independent contract workers. Additionally, CCSS mandates free health service provision to mothers, children, indigenous people, the elderly, and people living with disabilities, regardless of insurance coverage. By 2000, 82 percent of the population was eligible for CCSS, which has continued to expand in the ensuing period. By covering all population groups through the same system, Costa Rica has avoided social insurance stratification and inequity common in many other countries in the region.[117]


Cuba
Main article: Healthcare in Cuba
The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of all its citizens. There are no private hospitals or clinics as all health services are government-run. The present Minister for Public Health is Roberto Morales Ojeda. However, although the coverage is wide, the system is underfunded and recently also understaffed. The government organized medical missions in other countries has taken a very significat amount of doctors and other personal. In 2005 there were 25,000 Cuban doctors in Venezuela.

Mexico
Main article: Healthcare in Mexico
Public health care delivery is accomplished via an elaborate provisioning and delivery system instituted by the Mexican Federal Government. Public health care is provided to all Mexican citizens as guaranteed via Article 4 of the Constitution. Public care is either fully or partially subsidized by the federal government, depending on the person's (Spanish: derechohabiente's) employment status. All Mexican citizens are eligible for subsidized health care regardless of their work status via a system of health care facilities operating under the federal Secretariat of Health (formerly the Secretaria de Salubridad y Asistencia, or SSA) agency.

Trinidad and Tobago
Main article: Healthcare in Trinidad and Tobago
A universal health care system is used in Trinidad and Tobago and is the primary form of health-care available in the country. It is used by the majority of the population seeking medical assistance, as it is free for all citizens.

Argentina
Main article: Health care in Argentina
Health care is provided through a combination of employer and labor union-sponsored plans (Obras Sociales), government insurance plans, public hospitals and clinics and through private health insurance plans. It costs almost 10% of GDP and is available to anyone regardless of ideology, beliefs, race or nationality.

Brazil
Main article: Healthcare in Brazil
The universal health care system was adopted in Brazil in 1988 after the end of the military regime's rule. However, universalized/socialized health care was available many years before, in some cities, once the 27th amendment to the 1969 Constitution imposed the duty of applying 6% of their income in healthcare on the municipalities.[134]

Chile
Main article: Healthcare in Chile
Health care in Chile is provided by the government (via Fonasa) and by private insurers (via Isapre). All workers and pensioners are mandated to pay 7% of their income for health care insurance (the poorest pensioners are exempt from this payment). Workers who choose not to join an Isapre, are automatically covered by Fonasa. Fonasa also covers unemployed people receiving unemployment benefits, uninsured pregnant women, insured worker's dependant family, people with mental or physical disabilities and people who are considered poor or indigent.

Colombia
Main article: Health care in Colombia
In 1993 a reform transformed the health care system in Colombia, trying to provide a better, sustainable, health care system and to reach every Colombian citizen.

Peru
Main article: Healthcare in Peru
On April 10, 2009, the Government of Peru published the Law on Health Insurance to enable all Peruvians to access quality health services, and contribute to regulate the financing and supervision of these services. The law enables all population to access diverse health services to prevent illnesses, and promote and rehabilitate people, under a Health Basic Plan (PEAS).[135][136]

Australia
Main articles: Medicare (Australia) and Health care in Australia

Medicare logo
In Australia, Medibank — as it was then known — was introduced, by the Whitlam Labor government on July 1, 1975, through the Health Insurance Act 1973. The Australian Senate rejected the changes multiple times and they were passed only after a joint sitting after the 1974 double dissolution election. However, Medibank was supported by the subsequent Fraser Coalition (Australia) government and became a key feature of Australia's public policy landscape. The exact structure of Medibank/Medicare, in terms of the size of the rebate to doctors and hospitals and the way it has administered, has varied over the years. The original Medibank program proposed a 1.35% levy (with low income exemptions) but these bills were rejected by the Senate, and so Medibank was funded from general taxation. In 1976, the Fraser Government introduced a 2.5% levy and split Medibank in two: a universal scheme called Medibank Public and a government-owned private health insurance company, Medibank Private.


New Zealand
Main article: Health care in New Zealand
As with Australia, New Zealand's healthcare system is funded through general taxation. According to the WHO, government sources covered 77.4% of New Zealand's health care costs in 2004; private expenditures covered the remaining 22.6%.[42]


ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

Yes......so which country are you going to move to....?