Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States health systems are relatively varied; the most significant difference is rather not quality but the cost of medical care. Singapore has mandatory insurance, the United Kingdom provides healthcare for free, and the United States of America has no obligatory insurance, but the cost of medical care is at the most. Despite the differences, each country has the points they can learn from each other to improve healthcare on their land.
The United States system has been largely discussed online and offline, as it is a controversial topic heavily connected with money. Medical assistance is not ever free, and most of the US population cannot afford to pay for health services without insurance coverage (Lee et al., 2020). However, while the general level of healthcare is good, the inequality between poverty, middle-income, and rich people is largely reflected in the results of care and its availability.
The United Kingdom is the opposite of the United States, providing free healthcare to its residents. The UK covers the system costs from taxation, so there is no imbalance between poor and rich people at the public hospitals (Pencheon, 2018). While the UK grants free medical care for each person, the private institutions are still available, and that kind of system helps the community to seek help without hesitation about the cost of public healthcare.
Singapore’s system stands somewhat in the middle between the discussed UK and the US. Although Singapore has mandatory health insurance, the price for medical care is rather low when compared to the US, which is supported by the 1993 governmental paper stating that medical care should be affordable (Lim, 2017). Singapore is believed to have one of the most professional healthcare providers, and while residents have to pay for the insurance, they are receiving a high-level service.
Comparing the three countries, the most balanced one in Singapore provides affordable medical support. However, if speaking of tolerance and equality, the United Kingdom healthcare system stands out the most, allowing help for everyone despite their income. In this essay, the United States medical care is comparatively the weakest, which is not built to help everyone. In the US, only money can help its residents to improve their quality of life or save it because even a critical condition treatment has to be paid for.
References
Lee, A., James, A. & Hunleth, J. (2020). Waiting for care: Chronic illness and health system uncertainties in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 264, 2-8.
Lim, J. (2017). Sustainable health care financing: The Singapore experience. Global Policy, 8(2), 103-109.
Pencheon, D. (2018). Developing a sustainable health care system: The United Kingdom experience. The Medical Journal of Australia, 208(7), 284-85.