The Health and Medical Service Act

In the graph above, it is seen that the United States spent almost three times on healthcare as the average of Sweden and other developed countries with comparable incomes, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). However, despite spending more the result gotten from US health care system does not bring better result compared Sweden’s system who only spent half. Sweden who spent $5,000 less per person than the United States on healthcare still has a higher life expectancy at birth than the United States. (“Los Angeles Times”)

However United States remains a great nation and I believe there could be a change in the health-care system if high quality care is given to all citizen. Sadly, financial institute of the health care system in the U.S. has not made this possible and this has left so many American uninsured. Compared to Sweden’s health care system, inequality in the U.S. system keeps rising and leaves millions of Americans not visiting the hospital. The United States is one of the developed countries that do not provide health care coverage to all citizens as a right. But I think it is high time U.S. found a new model of care that is both less expensive and gives better outcome. This can be done, but it is left for the citizens to insist on a more reliable and equal financial health system (Harveston, et al)

On like the U.S. system, Sweden uses the Beveridge system, where it is government funded but private physicians exist too. This government funded system gives everyone access to equal healthcare right and even non-citizen don’t pay as much as you will pay for medication in the U.S. The responsibility for health and medical care in Sweden is taken care of by mostly the central government, county councils and municipalities. These levels of Swedish government are involved in the health care system. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs at national level takes care of the overall health and health care policy while they work with eight national government agencies. The monetary health services are taken care of by 12 county councils and 9 regional bodies in the regional level and 290 municipalities are responsible for care of the elderly and the disabled at the local level.

The Health and Medical Service Act takes care of the responsibilities of county councils and municipalities and this gives local governments more freedom in this area. The work of the government is to make principles and guidelines, and to set the political agenda for health and medical care. This is done successfully through laws and ordinances with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), that represents the county councils and municipalities. Everyone in within the municipalities are on the same level, so this helps give equal responsibilities to achieve a great system. In Sweden county councils, about 90 percent of their work concerns health care. The municipalities also take care of people with one physical or psychological disorders. They also provide support and services for citizens who are just released from hospital. Sweden also focusses on the use midwives for child births. Midwives is a person trained to assist women with child birth. Midwives play a vital role in the reduction of mortality during childbirth (Sweden).

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