What can the United States learn from OECD countries about h

What can the United States learn from OECD countries about how to extend coverage while containing healthcare expenditures?

Solution

European Social Protection System is the core of its social model, that has some variations across member countries, but is built on the common commitment to providing universal access to social protection against financial catastrophes caused by health expenditure. It is because its history and experience about social policy, which would help to United States to improve its healthcare equity.

The European focus on coverage and equity concerns, sets it apart from other institutions with a more narrow emphasis on safety nets and/or risk management. With regards to social protection policy design, the expansion of social insurance and contributions-based policy is central to improving policy coverage.

That design also incorporate formal social insurance, which should be enlarged by promoting formal employment and fighting against educational inequalities. In the case of poor households, it is community-based insurance option, which may also contribute to include margined families to social insurance.

All these require tax-financed aids and state support to improve both access and quality of health care. Additionally of financial contribution, public sector has a role in promoting a regulatory environment that encourages insurance and simultaneously promotes coverage and fair treatment.

Other way of social assistance policies is targeted cash transfers, it is also going to facilitate the improvement of social system coverage and equity. The important thing is to minimise risks of exclusion and other expenditures associated with targeting and conditionality. It requires non-complicated policy eligibility rules, non-punitive conditionality and information dissemination on entitlements.