Universal health care is driven by the accepted principle that when you require treatment, you are entitled to health care, free at the point of use. The application and reality of a universal health care system is varied throughout the world, ranging from a state-sponsored drug manufacturer providing medicine in Sri Lanka to a full and comprehensive service, from birth through to death, in many European nations.
The Universal Principle
When adopting universal health care, a country agrees to provide a service that includes every citizen, irrespective of gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Patients are treated depending on their individual clinical needs, not on their ability to pay.
History
Germany was the first country to introduce a system of health care that applied to all its citizens in the late 19th century; this was only a basic service and was administered by local health boards.
The United Kingdom developed the idea by introducing the National Insurance Act in 1911. This legislation was designed to cover all workers, but it did not cover dependents and extended family. The National Health Service Act of 1946 states clearly that once you become a UK resident, you are no longer required to purchase health services when you use them; instead, everybody pays an equal percentage of income into a national insurance system that runs alongside income tax.
The National Health Service was finally introduced in 1948, when all health services were incorporated under one publicly funded body. The NHS is currently the largest employer in the European Union.
Different Types
The Sri Lankan government takes a different approach to the universal health care principle by focusing state funding solely on medicine. The government purchases and distributes medicine to citizens through a state-owned pharmaceutical company but does not provide a thorough and comprehensive service, as in the European Union.
Structural organization is another factor that differs from country to country in the application of universal health care. Some governments delegate power to local health boards, which decide what services deserve funding depending on the needs of a specific locality. The other popular option concentrates power at the national level, with all health care services being answerable to the national legislature.
Benefits
Patients never have to worry about the cost of treatment. Everybody has the same access, and you are never turned away, regardless of your circumstances. Pre-existing conditions never have an impact upon the service you require. This system provides long-term job security and training for all its employees. All hospitals and services are of equal standard and are not dependent on the amount of funding they receive through private health insurance firms.
Criticisms
One criticism of this system is that the government is wasteful with taxes and restricts competition, which many believe is necessary to raise the standards in health care. It also removes the element of choice from the health consumer. Many citizens are punished for healthy lifestyles, because even if they never visit or require health care, they are still required to contribute the same proportion of their income as people who regularly require treatment.
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