Figure 2
Number of MRI Units and CT Scanners per Million People
United States
Japan
Italy
Greece
Portugal
Switzerland
Germany
Spain
Canada
MRI Units
CT Scanners
France
United Kingdom
Netherlands
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Source: Organisation for Co-operation and Development, "OECD Health Data, 2007 Statistics and Indicates for 30
Countries" (Paris: OECD, July 2007).
Note: U.S. Data from 2003.
applicability to the U.S. health care system.
Obviously there are problems with the U.S.
Accordingly, this study will look at 12 coun-
system. Too many Americans lack health
tries that appear to hold lessons for U.S. health
insurance and/or are unable to afford the best
care reforms: 10 ranked in the top 20 by the
care. More must be done to lower health care
WHO and 2 others frequently cited as poten-
costs and increase access to care. Both patients
tial models for U.S. health care reform.
and providers need better and more useful
information. The system is riddled with waste,
and quality of care is uneven. Government
Types of National Health
health care programs like Medicare and
Care Systems
Medicaid threaten future generations with an
enormous burden of debt and taxes.
Health care reform should be guided by the
National health care, or universal health care,
Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. Therefore,
is a broad concept and has been implemented in
before going down the road to national health
many different ways. There is no single model
care, we should look more closely at foreign
that the rest of the world follows. Each country's
health care systems and examine both their
system is the product of its unique conditions,
Health care
advantages and their problems.
history, politics, and national character, and
reform should be
Many of the countries with health systems
many are undergoing significant reform.
ranked in the top 20 by the World Health
guided by the
Organization, such as San Marino, Malta, and
Single-Payer Systems
Hippocratic Oath:
Andorra, are too small to permit proper evalu-
Under a single-payer health care system, the
First, do no harm.
ation, or their circumstances clearly limit the
government pays for the health care of all citi-
6