Universal health care, sometimes referred to as universal health coverage, universal coverage, or universal care, usually refers to a health care system which provides health care and financial protection to all its citizens. It is organized around providing a specified package of benefits to all members of a society with the end goal of providing financial risk protection, improved access to health services, and improved health outcomes. Universal health care is not a one-size-fits-all concept and does not imply coverage for all people for everything. Universal health care can be determined by three critical dimensions: who is covered, what services are covered, and how much of the cost is covered. The health policy framework is of central importance. Thus, in the development of universal health systems, it is appropriate to recognize "healthy public policy" (Health in All Policies) as the overarching policy framework, with public health, primary health care and community services as the cross-cutting framework for all health and health-related services operating across the spectrum from primary prevention to long term care and end-stage conditions. Although this perspective is both logical and well grounded in the social ecological model, the reality is different in most settings, and there is room for improvement everywhere. There are several counties that use health care program for example Canada, France and Thailand.
Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly funded health care system, which is mostly free at the point of use and has most services provided by private entities. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984. The government assures the quality of care through federal standards. The government does not participate in day-to-day care or collect any information about an individual's health, which remains confidential between a person and his or her physician. Canada's provincially based Medicare systems are cost-effective partly because of their administrative simplicity. In each province, each doctor handles the insurance claim against the provincial insurer. There is no need for the person who accesses health care to be involved in billing and reclaim. Private health expenditure accounts for 30% of health care financing. The Canada Health Act does not cover prescription drugs, home care or long-term care, prescription glasses or dental care, which means most Canadians pay out-of-pocket for these services or rely on private insurance. Provinces provide partial coverage for some of these items for vulnerable populations (children, those living in poverty and seniors). Limited coverage is provided for mental health care. Canada is the only country with a universal healthcare system that does not include coverage of prescription medication. Pharmaceutical medications are covered by public funds in some provinces for the elderly or indigent, or through employment-based private insurance or paid for out-of-pocket. Most drug prices are negotiated with suppliers by each provincial government to control costs but more recently, the Council of the Federation announced an initiative for select provinces to work together to create a larger buying block for more leverage to control costs. More than 60 percent of prescription medications are paid for privately in Canada. Family physicians (often known as general practitioners or GPs in Canada) are chosen by individuals. If a patient wishes to see a specialist or is counseled to see a specialist, a referral can be made by a GP. Preventive care and early detection are considered important and yearly checkups are encouraged.
The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. In its 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided the "close to best overall health care" in the world. In 2011, France spent 11.6% of GDP on health care, or US$4,086 per capita, a figure much higher than the average spent by countries in Europe but less than in the US. Approximately 77% of health expenditures are covered by government funded agencies. Most general physicians are in private practice but draw their income from the public insurance funds. These funds, unlike their German counterparts, have never gained self-management responsibility. Instead, the government has taken responsibility for the financial and operational management of health insurance (by setting premium levels related to income and determining the prices of goods and services refunded). The French government generally refunds patients 70% of most health care costs, and 100% in case of costly or long-term ailments. Supplemental coverage may be bought from private insurers, most of them nonprofit, mutual insurers. Until 2000, coverage was restricted to those who contributed to social security (generally, workers or retirees), excluding some poor segments of the population; the government of Lionel Jospin put into place universal health coverage and extended the coverage to all those legally resident in France. Only about 3.7% of hospital treatment costs are reimbursed through private insurance, but a much higher share of the cost of spectacles and prostheses (21.9%), drugs (18.6%) and dental care (35.9%) (Figures from the year 2000). There are public hospitals, non-profit independent hospitals (which are linked to the public system), as well as private for-profit hospitals. Healthcare in Thailand : a story to inspire confidence. Thailand can be proud to have achieved most of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular the three health-related goals. In 1970, Thailand had an infant mortality rate of 68 per 1,000 live births, while today it is estimated at 13 per 1,000 live births. According to a 2008 study published in the medical journal Lancet, Thailand enjoyed the highest annual rate of reduction in child mortality among 30 low- and middle-income countries between 1990 and 2006. The maternal mortality ratio has also shown a similar decreasing trend. In addition, Thailand has been successful at curbing new HIV infection rates by 83 per cent since 1991, thanks to the arduous efforts made by governments and NGOs. Such impressive health outcomes did not occur in isolation from its socio-economic development context. From 1969 to 2009, its gross national income (GNI) grew from US$210 to $3,760 in current figures, or 17 times over 40 years. During the 1970s and 1980s, Thailand invested heavily in highways that connect the isolated and impoverished Northeast and North to Bangkok; electrification throughout the country; as well as expansion of school enrollment for both boys and girls. As a result, the positive spillover effects also benefited the public health sector. As economic growth accelerated in the mid-1980s and 1990s, the country continued to finance infrastructure projects which brought greater connectivity, wider access to electricity and safe drinking water and clean sanitation, primary and secondary schools, and primary health center in rural areas across the country.