The UK is ranked 18th; the US is 37th, between Costa Rica and Slovenia. The interesting thing about the list is that the top systems are all nationalized insurance systems like Medicare, not nationalized health care like the UK. In Britain the docs work for the NHS; France the docs work for themselves, but are paid by the government. Both Costa Rica and Slovenia do it the English way, and wind up no better than we do in terms of outcomes.

In France health care is less expensive by more than half through taxes than our health care is through insurance. Infant and mother mortality and morbidity is lower; life expectancy is longer, surgical success rates are higher and medical errors are lower. The catch is that one of the ways that costs are contained is that doctors make less money. This is acceptable to them because their education is free. Rather than graduating with the six figure debt that propels US docs into the insurance reimbursement machine; they graduate debt free and ready to help.

Enjoy France!