The document compares the healthcare systems of the United States and France. It finds that the US spends much more per capita on healthcare than France, yet has a lower life expectancy. In France, everyone contributes to and benefits from universal healthcare coverage. Healthcare spending is concentrated on preventative and primary care rather than expensive treatments. Patients have freedom to choose doctors and face little to no costs, while still receiving care based on their needs.

1. Comparison & Contrast

2. Cost & Delivery
United States
*$2.7 trillion spent on
health care annually
*Represents 16.6% of
GDP
*Population: 313 million
*$8047 cost per person
France
*$204 billion spent on
healthcare annually
*Represents 11% of
GDP
*Population: 62.8 million
*$3300 cost per person

3. Half of the Population in the U.S. Uses Very Little
Health Care:
97% of all health spending is concentrated in half of the population!
97%
100%
90%
Percentage of Expenditures
80%
70%
64%
60%
49%
50%
40%
30%
22%
20%
10%
0%
Top 1%
Top 5%
Top 10%
Percentage of Population Ranked by Spending
Source: Yu & Ezzati-Rice, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #81, AHRQ, May 2005.
Top 50%

4. United States
*2.4 physicians per
1000 people
*Unemployment 7.3%
France
*3.37 physicians per
1000 people
*Unemployment 10.9%

5. Universal Coverage in
France
Everyone working in France must contribute to the French Social
Security System and everyone is entitled to benefit from it.
Threefold system: Health, Family and Retirement. Each is
financially independent from one another.
The Health System is based on the concept of providing a large
amount of help for any medical need and total help when it is
serious.
You pay according to your means and you receive (healthcare)
according to you needs.

6. Universal Coverage (Continued)
To grasp how the French System works, think about Medicare for the
elderly in the U.S., then expand that to encompass the entire
population.
The Family System is financial help to all families plus various
services such as day-care or vacations centers.
The Retirement system provides minimal pension to any person who
has worked 40 years.

7. Responsive Health Care Providers
in France
• Big emphasis on preventative care.
• Paid incentives based on patient outcomes.
• Little to no waiting time at doctor’s office.
• In France, one can have a doctor come their house
*SAMU: Service d’Aide Medicale Urgente

8. Patient and Provider Freedoms
in France
• One can go to any doctor or hospital he or
she wants.
• One can not be denied due to pre-existing
conditions or poor health.
• There is no such thing as a “medical bill” in
France.
• Doctors have no educational loans to re-pay
for medical school.

9. U.S. Life Expectancy Lower than
Countries that spend far less
90
Life Expectancy in Years
80
85.6
80.1
74.8
78.6
83.8
82.7
78.4
76.7
77.6
72.7
70
79.9
75.2
76.9
83
78.1
68.6
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
U.S.
Japan
Sweden
France
Male
Mexico
Hungary
Denmark
Female
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Health Data (OECD), 2006
Australia

10. Works Cited:
Hunnicutt, Susan (2010). Universal Healthcare Opposing Viewpoints.
Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Moore, Michael (2007). Sicko. Dog Eat Dog Films Inc., The
Weinstein Company.
Steffen, Monika (June 2010). The French Health Care System: Liberal
Universalism. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 35, No. 3.
Dutton, Paul V. (2007) French Lesson: A Model Health care System.
The International Herald Tribune. August 14, 2007.
Rochefort, Philippe (2011). Being Sick in France. Retrieved October
23, 2011, from http://www.understandfrance.org/Paris/Sick.html.
The World Health Organization Assesses the World’s Health
Systems (2000). Retrieved November 16, 2011, from
http://www.who.int/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/.

11. The Commonwealth Fund, OECD Health Data