An overview of health care systems: Canada and selected OECD countries

Abstract

This article presents an overview of health care systems in Canada and selected OECD countries (Australia, France, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom). The article discusses the organization of health care systems, health care expenditure, the availability and utilization of health services, and the health status of the population. In addition, it highlights and compares key health care indicators that are common to all health care systems. The article focuses on the relationship between health expenditure and health status in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality and shows that the United States had the highest infant mortality and second lowest life expectancy for females at birth in 1990 while it spent the most on health care as percentage of GDP. The article also shows that the overall health status indicators in some countries such as Finland and Sweden are comparable to that of Canada despite spending considerably less on health care.