MD ID 6575 - Comparative International Health Systems

This course will provide a survey of the basic models that intl health systems follow - the Beveridge or single provider model, the National Health Insurance model, the Bismarckian model or non-governmental insurer model, & the out-of-pocket model - & use these peer comparisons to better understand the American healthcare system, which is a complex amalgam of these four models. The course will study international examples of each system (the UK, Canada, Taiwan, & Germany), including the underlying political & economic forces that led to their development, their evolution over time, & current functioning. We will turn to the U. S. in more depth, attempting to understand the logic of prev. & current reform efforts & pursuing guided research on topics of personal interest to each student.