According to recent studies done by the World Health Organization, a great number of the population is not able to get access to the required healthcare. And to avoid this kind of situation, many countries have decided to enforce a universal health care system, which will be funded by the government of the country. This kind of healthcare system allows around 90% of the country’s citizens to get affordable healthcare.
Some governments even implement fully government-funded healthcare systems, allowing their citizens to use the healthcare services entirely for free, regardless of the income of the household. There are over 50 countries that have this method implemented in their health system. And we have prepared a list of some of the countries that are the most prominent for their free or universal healthcare system.
Brazil
Brazil is one of the best countries to highlight a universal healthcare system as its government allows all the country’s residents to use healthcare services without any fee. This approach is available to anyone living in Brazil. Whether you are a Brazilian citizen, a refugee, or a tourist, you can get medical health care in hospitals. Another great remark is that people can get any kind of medical service for free, starting with an emergency check-up and ending with prescription medication without any required documents.
Canada
All of us have probably heard at least once that healthcare in Canada is entirely free. However, it is only available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Many people try to become Canadian citizens because of this particular benefit that the country provides to its residents.
France
Next on our list is France. France has two types of hospitals, private and state-run. In comparison with other countries, both types of hospitals have the same degree of dominance in the healthcare industry. And all French citizens who have health insurance get free healthcare from all the French hospitals.
Sweden
The Swedish healthcare system is next on our list of the best universal healthcare countries in the world. Around 1% of Swedish nationals have a chance to get a free healthcare system thanks to the private health plans they get through their employers. However, a high-quality healthcare system is available for all Swedish citizens at affordable spending. This country is one of the most popular ones for having an affordable healthcare system.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom provides healthcare support both for British citizens and migrant workers. And many people can get emergency medical treatment either for free or at a very low cost. There are various healthcare programs implemented by the NHS that allow British citizens to find medical and healthcare support in various hospitals and clinics.
Germany
We could not forget about Germany, which is the last on our list but certainly not the least. Germany’s universal health system is one of the oldest. Although Germany provides distinctive healthcare support, the costs can be very high. That is why, it is required for all German citizens to have health insurance, which will cover all the costs of healthcare and medical support. All the medically necessary healthcare support is available for free through public healthcare as well. However, most of the costs come from the hospitals through treatments or operations, which can only be covered through health insurance.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare
So what are the benefits of free healthcare? Firstly, all citizens have access to medical services – and this certainly has a positive effect on the duration and quality of life. Secondly, the availability of universal medicine helps health authorities control the quality and cost of medical services. Thus, medical institutions will not be able to poach wealthier patients by offering them a wider range of services, which in turn creates inequality. But there are also minuses in universal healthcare, which largely depend on organizational issues in the healthcare sector. For example, sometimes patients have to wait months to see a doctor if the healthcare system is not functioning properly.
The Bottom Line
It is every country’s responsibility to take action toward providing free healthcare and medical support to all their nationals and permanent residents. However, not all countries have this opportunity yet. Although most of the European countries’ residents get the chance to use the free or universal healthcare systems, the terms and conditions of getting this opportunity vary from country to country.