ABSTRACT
This chapter compares and contrasts competing national approaches to promoting health as well as health outcomes under diverse systems, specifically those in Rwanda, South Africa, Cuba, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. One of the primary ways in which states influence population health outcomes is by shaping the nature of national health systems. The chapter discusses basic concepts relating to the financing of health care, health care reimbursement, levels of health care delivery, and the organization of health care providers and institutions. It also examines the role of governments in legislating policies that affect health care financing, reimbursement, and organization. The chapter concludes with the case study of three high-income countries, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to illustrate the ways in which approaches to national health systems can lead to different population health outcomes despite similar levels of national wealth.
