Comparison of the health care systems of ten countries.

In which country would you want to be sick?

The class project is focused on a comparison of the health care systems of ten countries. Each student will choose a country that he or she would like to learn about, and become the “health ambassador” for that country.

You will be asked to examine the health care system of your “adopted” country along several specific dimensions (listed below) and determine the pros and cons of that system.

Use the report entitled “International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2017” published by the Commonwealth Fund, to prepare this assignment. Also, please refer to an article entitled “Information about the role of private insurance in other countries”. Both documents can be accessed on the Canvas website using the “Pages” tab and within “Class Project” folder.

During a class debate, you will meet with your student peers in small groups. Each group will have “health ambassadors” from several countries. You will debate with your peers the merits of the country you are representing. For the debate you could use the paper/notes that you prepared for this assignment.

You will hand in your paper after the debate, which means you need to have a

PRINTED COPY of your assignment to bring to the debate. Grades will be 5 points for participation in the debate and 5 points for your written assignment.

You may write your answers in bullet form.

Issues to be addressed in your paper – cite facts and statistics when available in making your arguments:

1) Relevant population characteristics and health risks

2) How much does your country spend on health care and why? (Consider use of

expensive technology and resources such as hospital care and technology).

3) Government versus private sector role.

3) Do you think your healthcare system is a high performance system? Why? What

measures can you cite to justify your claim?

4) Do you think that everybody in your country has access to healthcare? To health insurance?