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Digital News Report – A new survey found that Canadians and Swedes were more confident about their medical system than Americans. During the health care debate Ipsos/Reuters found that only half of Americans felt confident they could get medical treatment.
Americans were divided over health care reform which became law last month. While the United States spends more than any other country on health care, only 51 percent felt it would be “easy’ to get treatment for an ill relative.
Sweden and Canada
In Canada that number is 70 percent and in Sweden it is 75 percent. Most of their population had confidence in their health care system, according to Reuters. Both Sweden and Canada have single-payer medical systems.
Germany and UK
Not all countries were as satisfied as the United States. Only 45 percent of Germans felt confident they could get care while that number was 55 percent in the UK.
Japan
Only 15 percent felt confident in Japan that they could get care for an ill relative. Although Japan has universal health care they do not have a single payer medical system. The problem is compounded by their aging population and long life expectancy.
The government forces their citizens to buy health insurance, similar to the system the United States is implementing now. If an employer does not pay for insurance, citizens can join a national health insurance program administered by local governments.
Since the downturn in the economy many Japanese companies have refused to purchase insurance for their employees. According to a report in the Japan Times, millions of Japanese have fallen through cracks.
Per Capita, Japan has three times as many hospitals as the United States, but they can still be crowded because Japanese tend to visit them more frequently (average 14 times per year) for minor problems.
By: Jason Chang
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