Do any nations have universal coverage under a privatized system?

[bluestateguy]

Is there a nation that has universal health coverage of its citizens based on a mostly privatized system? That is, are there any countries on Earth that have all of their citizens covered, with full access to health care, under a system that is at its core a privatized system.(Maybe they would have a public system for the disabled, the very poor, the elderly, and the unemployed, etc.). Perhaps under such a system (if it exists) the private insurance companies are regulated up the wazoo and kept on a very short leash with a choke chain.

I'm all ears.

[Uzybone]

1. I think the swiss

I recall watching a special on PBS (I believe it as a Moyers special) and there was a country in Europe that had universal coverage provided by private insurers.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Swiss Health Care System:

Organization

The Swiss healthcare system is a combination of public, subsidised private and totally private systems:

* public: e. g. the University of Geneva Hospital (HUG) with 2,350 beds, 8,300 staff and 50,000 patients per year;
* subsidised private: the home care services to which one may have recourse in case of a difficult pregnancy, after childbirth, illness, accident, handicap or old age;
* totally private: doctors in private practice and in private clinics.

The insured person has full freedom of choice among the recognised healthcare providers competent to treat their condition (in his region) on the understanding that the costs are covered by the insurance up to the level of the official tariff. There is freedom of choice when selecting an insurance company (provided it is an officially registered caisse-maladie or a private insurance company authorised by the Federal Act) to which one pays a premium, usually on a monthly basis.

The list of officially-approved insurance companies can be obtained from the cantonal authority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland#Organization

[Uzybone]

2. Yeah...the Swiss

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/bus/stories/DN-swisshealth_07bus.ART0.State.Edition2.21730ee.html


and of course the private companies are regulated and negotiate prices with the government. There is no other way it would work.

[drm604]

3. Wikipedia has a rundown of a number of different countries' systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Is this where the answer is Somalia? Haiti? Good question. k+r, n/t

[rpannier]

6. Japan

[subterranean]

7. The Netherlands, since 2006.

They used to have a public system, but in 2006 adopted a system of mandatory insurance through private insurance companies. All insurers are required to offer the basic plan prescribed by the government. The government subsidizes the insurance for people below a certain income level, and uses a risk equalization scheme so insurance companies have no incentive to cherry-pick the healthiest customers.

More information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_Netherlands
http://www.justlanded.com/english/Netherlands/Netherlands-Guide/Health/Healthcare