Exploring Free Healthcare Systems Around the Globe

The recent pandemic brought the topic of universal health care back into the spotlight. Some countries have it, others don’t. Let’s see how this affects you as an employer of a global team.

In some countries, the employer must provide health care. In some companies, global healthcare packages are used as a perk to attract and retain top talent.

So, should you only hire in countries with free healthcare as an employer? While it depends on the country, the burden of healthcare typically doesn’t affect the employer. Here’s what you should know about universal healthcare.

What is universal health care?

Universal healthcare is a system in which all residents of a particular country have access to healthcare. The goal is to provide everyone with access to medical assistance, regardless of their financial status. The healthcare should also be adequate and effective.

It’s estimated that about 72 countries worldwide have implemented universal health care. To achieve this, they have relied on one of the three types of universal healthcare.

What are the types of universal healthcare?

There are three recognized types of healthcare in the world. They include mandatory health insurance, single-payer systems, and national healthcare systems.

Required health insurance

Some countries require by law that all citizens purchase health insurance. This system is also known as the “Bismark model.” In this system, the insurance is regulated by the government. It may offer low-income citizens subsidies to purchase health insurance. For example, this system is used in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Single-payer system

Within this system, the government pays all the health care expenses out of tax revenue. Also known as “National Health Insurance,” the countries that rely on this system are often considered to have “free healthcare.” In this system, private medical institutions provide healthcare services. In some countries that follow this model, the patients also have to pay a small portion of their medical bills. Countries like Canada and South Korea rely on this system to achieve universal healthcare.

National healthcare

Under this type of system, the government provides both healthcare and insurance. Also known as “The Beveridge Model,” in these countries, most healthcare institutions are run and owned by the government. The government uses taxes to fund healthcare. The UK is most famous for this model, but Spain and New Zealand also rely on this system to provide universal healthcare.

How many countries have universal health care?

There are 72 countries in the world with universal health care. However, most analyses base the definition of universal healthcare on the coverage. It causes significant discrepancies in global statistics.

Some analysts require a country to provide healthcare to 99% percent of their residents to be considered a country with “universal healthcare.” Others lower the bar to 90%, which is why the statistics on healthcare coverage by country vary significantly.

Countries in Europe with universal healthcare:

Europe has the most countries with universal healthcare. The countries offering universal healthcare are, alphabetically:

1. Albania,

2. Austria,

3. Belgium,

4. Bulgaria,

5. Croatia,

6. Czech Republic,

7. Denmark,

8. Finland,

9. France,

10. Georgia,

11. Germany,

12. Greece,

13. Iceland,

14. Ireland,

15. Italy,

16. Lichtenstein,

17. Luxembourg,

18. Netherlands,

19. Norway,

20. Portugal,

21. Romania,

22. Russia,

23. Serbia,

24. Spain,

25. Sweden,

26. Switzerland,

27. Turkey,

28. The United Kingdom

Countries in Asia with universal healthcare:

Asia also has a significant number of countries offering a form of universal healthcare.

1. Bhutan,

2. Hong Kong,

3. India,

4. Indonesia,

5. Israel,

6. Japan,

7. Kuwait,

8. Macau,

9. Malaysia,

10. Maldives,

11. North Korea,

12. Pakistan,

13. China,

14. Philippines,

15. Singapore,

16. South Korea,

17. Sri Lanka,

18. Taiwan, and

19. Thailand.

Countries in Africa with universal healthcare:

Several countries in Africa also offer a form of universal healthcare.

1. Algeria,

2. Botswana,

3. Burkina Faso,

4. Egypt,

5. Ghana,

6. Mauritius

7. Mauritius,

8. Morocco,

9. Rwanda,

10. Seychelles,

11. South Africa,

12. and Tunisia.

Countries in South America with universal healthcare:

Brazil is the only country in the world that offers free healthcare to all, including its residents, expats, and tourists. Other Latin American countries that also have universal healthcare are:

1. Argentina,

2. Chile,

3. Colombia,

4. Costa Rica,

5. Peru

6. Cuba,

7. The Bahamas,

8. Trinidad and Tobago,

9. Suriname

Other countries with universal healthcare are Canada in North America, and New Zealand and Australia in Oceania.

What countries don't have free healthcare?

The answer to this question depends on the definition of “free healthcare.”

Even though countries have universal healthcare, residents typically pay for medical services. They pay for it either by purchasing medical insurance, through their taxes or by paying upfront and the government reimbursing them later.

Brazil is the only country that defines healthcare as a universal right in its constitution. It allows anyone to get healthcare for free.

On the other hand, countries such as Cambodia, Chad, Nigeria, and Armenia rely on an “Out of Pocket” system, which requires patients to pay for healthcare. In these countries, health insurance options are limited.

Should you provide employee health benefits?

Providing employee health benefits is a great bonus in countries without universal healthcare. In the US, health insurance is one of the most sought-after job benefits.

However, even if your new employee is from a country with universal healthcare, you can still offer health-related benefits. You can offer global health insurance, wellness programs, gym memberships, or other health-related perks.

When hiring, ask your new employee about the quality of universal healthcare provided in their country. The Universal Healthcare Index score is used for evaluating healthcare quality internationally. It can range from 43 to 89.

If the quality is lower, you can consider offering your employees supplemental medical insurance as a perk. With it, they can rely on private institutions for their healthcare to get a quicker or better service.

Overall, providing your employees with healthcare benefits is a well-known and effective method to attract and retain top talent in your company. Make sure to inform yourself of the healthcare systems available in the country you’re looking to hire from to understand what benefits you can provide your employees.

FAQ:

Is health Care Free in Europe?

Many European countries have universal healthcare which is often confused with “free healthcare”. However, the governments typically fund the healthcare system through taxes.

Is Canada healthcare free?

Canada has a single-payer system of healthcare, which means that the healthcare bills for its residents are paid by the government, while the government funds this through taxes.

Is free healthcare free?

In most countries that offer universal free healthcare, residents don’t have to pay out of pocket for medical assistance. However, they pay for medical insurance through taxes.

How does free healthcare work?

Three models of universal healthcare affect how free healthcare works. In some countries, residents are required by law to purchase medical insurance. In others, where the healthcare institutions are run and owned by the government, the healthcare costs are compensated through taxes. In some systems, the residents’ medical bills are covered by the state, but they have to participate in the bill.