Let’s Benchmark! WHO Public Healthcare Excellence Criteria The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on matters of health care internationally in the United Nations. As such, it shapes the agenda of research into health-related topics and sets norms and standards of health care and wellness. Each year, WHO issues its report
of the state of health care among member nations, focusing on a different topic in each report. Its goal is to provide information to policy-makers and influential organizations that provide funding for government and private health initiatives and influence decisions toward higher quality health care for more people. Their measure of public health-
care systems of member countries uses five criteria to determine relative quality of care provided. These criteria are quality, access, efficiency, equity, and the extent to which citizens of member nations are able to lead healthy lives.
Quality of Healthcare Quality indicators for a country’s public healthcare system are mea-
WHO’s Top 5 Public Healthcare Systems Based on these criteria, the WHO rated these countries as having the best healthcare systems.
Australia According to the WHO, Australians can expect to live an average of 74 healthy years. In this country, healthcare is a combination of services funded by the Commonwealth, State Government, and private health insurance.
16
The universal health insurance plan since 1984, Australia’s Medicare program provides treatment in public hospitals without fee from the consumer. Subsidized care is provided for vision, dental, and psychological care, as well as consultations with general practitioners, specialist care, physician-prescribed tests, and most surgical procedures. The Australian government also provides special healthcare benefits to war veterans and their dependents. Some of Medicare’s funding comes through an income tax surcharge to Australians earning more than a prescribed threshold. Benefits are based on a government-established fee schedule. While doctors are free to set their own consultation fees, they are encouraged to accept the Medicare
Issue 5 - MAY 2015
benefit as full payment. The system itself comprises three programs in addition to a program specifically for the lowest income residents. The first is free healthcare to the general public. Another program covers conditions specific to military service-related conditions. A third program makes certain medications available at reduced rates to citizens who are war veterans or senior citizens. For low-income citizens there are discounts on medicines and concessions on certain
health services. A surcharge on income for people who earn over a threshold set by government encourages these people to purchase private insurance. Those individuals then have a wider array of choices in doctors and health facilities; they can use doctors and public or private hospitals of their choice. Depending on the policy, income, and age of the policy holder, that person may be entitled to rebates on some medical costs.