How Switzerland delivered health care for all -- and kept its private insurance
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Channel: PBS NewsHour
Views: 96,146
Rating: 4.8364248 out of 5
Keywords: Switzerland, Switzerland Health care, universal health care, competitive health care marketplace, medical debt, NHS, health care for all, Health care in america, American health care, uninsured people, for profit health care, 2020 election, Health care around the world, comparing U.S. health care, health care inequality, health care disparity, health care outcomes, hospital bill, bankruptcy, The Best Health Care?, PBS, PBS NewsHour, cost of health care, health care marketplace
Id: dN9Vgz9JNUA
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Length: 9min 43sec (583 seconds)
Published: Wed Sep 02 2020
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Feel like they should have mentioned that mandatory coverage also means the insurance company isn't allowed to kick you off it even if you haven't been able to pay your bills. Nor are they allowed to refuse you coverage for having "pre-existing conditions" (AFAIK). Which are two of the biggest problems with US healthcare. If you're gonna make the comparison, those seem like rather noteworthy points.EDIT: I made this comment based on assumptions I've made, or on outdated facts. Check the responses for corrections.
It's still very regressive - for low income people (e.g. students) it's a huge fraction of their income while for wealthy people it's loose change. So while everyone gets the same core services, the poor proportionally pay a lot more for it. And since the way to get lower premiums is to accept higher excess (like, 5x higher), many people avoid going to the doctor because it's basically not covered and only have the insurance for emergencies.
Some thoughts about this:
The comparison with the Swiss train system is actually really good. Like the train system, the health insurance system is strongly suffering from the privatisation of public services since the nineties (in the case of PHC it's mainly the hospitals that have become way too expensive and ineffective but also the insurance companies themselves).
The Swiss are not just healthier than the Americans because of our healthcare system. Americans have one of the highest obesity rates in the entire world whereas Switzerland has one of the lowest amongst industrialised countries. We're just eating healthier and things like promenades, cycling or hiking are very normal activities for us.
The reason why are so friendly towards governmental decisions is our direct democracy and the resulting better participation. Since we as a people have the power to always intervene if we don't like what the government or parliament are deciding, they are much more aware of the people's interests and therefore usually make decisions that the people will support.
As we have seen in the video, our healthcare system is far from being perfect, but it can and will be improved gradually. This is the real strength of the Swiss system when it's being compared to any other country's.
"Wide array of choices" when it comes to doing groceries in Switzerland made me laugh. Sure, there is variety of cheese, but for any other product options are really limited.
Yeah but the swiss system is super crap. It's both peohibitely expensive and inefficient (lots of waste and unnecessary operations)
Not being able to go to the doctor because I can't afford the franchise = great insurance. Got it.
Do you guys have any idea what is the mark up on medicines you get from insurance by paying I don't know like 5 CHF (10% if you have insurance I think)... ??
Medicines and health insurance is the biggest scam going on western world.
Antibiotics which cost atleast 15 CHF / EUR costs probably 50 cents in India for same quantity.
What I dont understand is why canton GE is so much more than canton ZH.
Of course they are one of the reasons for the rising prices.
I'd claim it's nearly impossible to live in this country but still missing how insurance companies are playing their ridiculous and expensive carroussel game every year.