Health Care Systems of Singapore and United States Essay

Health Care Systems of Singapore and United States - Essay Example The WHO Report revealed that U.S health system spends a higher portion of its Gross Domestic Product than any other country of the 191 countries. The report ranked U.S at position 37 according to its health care performance. Bureau report of 2006 revealed that 15.8 percent of citizens had no insurance cover. This represented an approximate of 47 million people (DeNavas-Walt et al, 2007:27). This paper compares the health care systems of United States and Singapore. It will look at the organisation, funding, regulation, and quality. Organisation The organisation of the health care system in United States and Singapore differs markedly. To start with, the structure of the health care systems in Singapore encourages her citizens to take responsibilities for their well-being. Singapore health care system comprises of both private and public hospitals. The organisation of health care system embraces three central components of the health care that include Medisave, Medishield, and Medifun d. Medislave is a compulsory saving plan while Medishield is a low cost, catastrophic health insurance scheme while Medifund is a welfare scheme. The three accounts augment government’s system of subsidies for health care. ... The polyclinics account 20 percent of the primary health care provision while the private sector captures 80 percent. However, the public health care accounts for 80 percent while that of private health care is 20 percent in the expensive hospital care (Usa, 2009:111). The structure of health care system in United States is very different from that of Singapore. The health system in United States are very fragmented and decentralised. The health care system concentrate on making profits and patients pay for all health care services. Although the government of United States invests many funds in the health care system, the outcomes are dismal. The organisation of health system in United States embraces private and public insurers in the health care system. The health insurance systems include the Medicaid and Medicare (Barr, 2011:14). The Medicare program, which the government of United State oversees, caters for the elderly and disabled people. The payroll taxes and federal revenues and premiums finance the Medicare insurance. On the other hand, Medicaid covers the low-income earners and the disabled. The federal law dictates that Medicaid should insure parents, disabled, poor pregnant women, and the aged people only. This program is under the State and the District of Columbia. This insurance covers about 13 percent of the American people that makes about 20 percent of total health care spending (Barr, 2011:166). In addition to the public Medicare and Medicaid, United States has private insurance system. This cover caters for 58 percent of the American population amounting to 33 percent of the total spending of health expenditure (Niles,