Austria has best health care system in Europe, Latvia worse

[Bono]

www.healthpowerhouse.com/archives/cat_news.html#689

Europe now has a three speed healthcare system
October 01, 2007

Austria is Europe’s most consumer-friendly healthcare system, according to the 2007 Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) launched today in Brussels at a press conference. A combination of widespread access to treatment and excellence in outcomes allowed Austria to narrowly pip the 2005 winners, the Netherlands, from the top spot. Last year’s winners France has slipped to 3rd place.

There is a small group of countries that compete for pre-eminence in excellence, separated only by minor differences. These are followed by a middle group of adequate performers and rapid improvers, with a rump of under-achievers. But no country in the index achieves more than 80% of their potential, and all remain in need of reform. The 2007 EHCI covers all 27 European Union members as well as Norway and Switzerland.

The top and bottom five were:
1. Austria
2. Netherlands
3. France
4. Switzerland
5. Germany


25. Romania
26. Lithuania
27. Poland
28. Bulgaria
29. Latvia

EDIT:
Bottom five in EU15

16. Ireland
17. United Kingdom
18. Italy
19. Portugal
22. Greece


You can read the complete report here:
www.healthpowerhouse.com/archives/cat_media_room.html

[GMantis]

I'm surprised that the much richer Latvia has managed to beat Bulgaria to the bottom place and the even richer Poland has almost the same score, especially as our health care system has copied one of the worst EU15 systems - the UK one -and has made it even worse.

[Verily]

Top five in the new EU12
12. Estonia
13. Cyprus
15. Czech Republic
20. Malta
21. Slovenia

The non-EU states
4. Switzerland
7. Norway

[GMantis]

Top five in the new EU12
12. Estonia
13. Cyprus
15. Czech Republic
20. Malta
21. Slovenia

The non-EU states
4. Switzerland
7. Norway

Estonia is also on the top in the Bang for Bucks category.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Already posted (I think).

Regardless, rankings of healthcare systems are, beyond a certain point, entirely subjective (actually you can extend this to almost all aspects of social policy).

To defend the NHS (because doing that is what I do ) a healthcare system in which concepts like "choice" and "consumer friendly" were totally alien until a few decades ago is not going to rank very highly on a ranking system based around the idea that a "good" healthcare system is one that is "consumer friendly" and gives people a great deal of "choice".

The NHS has its problems, but so do all healthcare systems. The danger of decreeing that a "good" healthcare system is one in which the "consumer" is king is that it runs the risk of missing the wood for the trees (or to put it another way; it fails to recognise healthcare is not an industry, but is actually an instrument of social policy. Quite a lot of things run on from there).

[GMantis]

Already posted (I think).

Regardless, rankings of healthcare systems are, beyond a certain point, entirely subjective (actually you can extend this to almost all aspects of social policy).

To defend the NHS (because doing that is what I do ) a healthcare system in which concepts like "choice" and "consumer friendly" were totally alien until a few decades ago is not going to rank very highly on a ranking system based around the idea that a "good" healthcare system is one that is "consumer friendly" and gives people a great deal of "choice".

The NHS has its problems, but so do all healthcare systems. The danger of decreeing that a "good" healthcare system is one in which the "consumer" is king is that it runs the risk of missing the wood for the trees (or to put it another way; it fails to recognise healthcare is not an industry, but is actually an instrument of social policy. Quite a lot of things run on from there).

You know, unlike many on this forum I have had the misfortune to have to use the system, which makes me a bit sceptical about its merits. And you haven't actually defended it - you have only admitted that it dosn't give much choice.
 

[opebo]

Regardless, rankings of healthcare systems are, beyond a certain point, entirely subjective (actually you can extend this to almost all aspects of social policy).

Of course it is also worth noting that for the 50% or more of Americans who cannot obtain health care, any European system sounds pretty good.

[Bono]

Regardless, rankings of healthcare systems are, beyond a certain point, entirely subjective (actually you can extend this to almost all aspects of social policy).

Of course it is also worth noting that for the 50% or more of Americans who cannot obtain health care, any European system sounds pretty good.

LOL, pulled that figure out your ass right now?

[Tender Branson]

Bono, I told you that I don´t have to wait a month for a referral to a specialist here in Austria. As a matter of fact I waited just 2 days for my last referral. Maybe in Portugal it takes a month ...

PS: The infant mortality rate of Austria is just marked as "Average", yet it plunged to the lowest level in 2006, to 3.6 per 1000 kids born. That´s lower than France, yet they get a "Good" in the matrix of Indicators ...

http://www.healthpowerhouse.com/media/Index_2007_matrix.pdf

[opebo]

Regardless, rankings of healthcare systems are, beyond a certain point, entirely subjective (actually you can extend this to almost all aspects of social policy).

Of course it is also worth noting that for the 50% or more of Americans who cannot obtain health care, any European system sounds pretty good.

LOL, pulled that figure out your ass right now?

I'll agree that figure sounds very low.  After all most americans purchase health insurance through their job.  This is patently absurd as they will lose the job and the health insurance as soon as they become sick in any significant way - thus this should not be considered 'insured' at all.

Only the State can provide real security in access to medical care.

[Bono]

Bono, I told you that I don´t have to wait a month for a referral to a specialist here in Austria. As a matter of fact I waited just 2 days for my last referral. Maybe in Portugal it takes a month ...

If you're lucky it only takes a month.
Seriously though, the Austrian system incorporates a lot of market based principles, such as competing social insurers, private hospitals competing with public ones... It's no wonder that it is the best in Europe, together with the other social insurance systems like Germany and Switzerland's. They all come above the centralized provider model like the UK or Portugal.

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That is odd. Email them.