250062 Access Barriers and Waiting Times in Social Health Insurance Systems

Monday, October 31, 2011

Rushita Shah, MS , College of Osteopathic Medicine, Master in Public Health Program, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cyril Blavo, DO, MPH&TM , Master of Public Health Program, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Canada, France, and the United Kingdom provide universal coverage and have similar health expenditure, yet vary in healthcare affordability and access to treatment. Data regarding cost-related access and wait times from the 2010 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey was collected to analyze the health insurance design and health expenditure of Canada, France and United Kingdom and how it affects affordability of care and wait times for treatment. Canada, France and the United Kingdom have similar health expenditure per capita. Canada had the higher of number of adults who went without care because of cost, and had higher than $1000 out-of-pocket costs than France and the United Kingdom. France reported the highest percent of adults who had long waiting time for elective surgery, while Canada had the highest percent of adults who reported having long waiting time for specialist appointments. United Kingdom had the lowest healthcare expenditure and the least waiting time, when compared to France and Canada. Significant country differences exist in healthcare access and in waiting time for specialist and surgical procedures in spite of the similarities in health system designs and per capita healthcare expenditures of the three nations reviewed. Variables other than cost and universal access may contribute to these significant differences.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the many differences in health outcomes with Canada, the United Kingdom and France, despite the nations having universal access health and relatively similar health expenditures per capita.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Public Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have organized and analyzed the data used in this research project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Access to Care II
See more of: Health Administration