Current British Program '89 5.8% GDP
* Doctors assigned a certain number of patients
* Doctors paid a flat salary
* Doctors' office clogged by hypochondriacs, causing waiting
lines up to 15 patients
* Charge for prescriptions, but still cheaper than market
prices.
Comment from London "System under stress. Began good.
Now calls on system more expensive to the country than antici-
pated. Happy to have service, nobody would want to go back to old
system."
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Current Japan Program '89 6.7% GDP
* Government-run insurance system. Subscriber pays
premium/tax directly to government
* Membership not mandatory, but nearly everyone joins plan
* Doctors paid by fee-for-service, patient pays 4-5% of fee,
government plan pays rest. Doctors get 60% exemption
from taxes
* Doctors own the pharmacies. Plan pays for drugs.
* Both government and private hospitals
* Life expectancy rate 5 years longer than U.S.
Comment from Tokyo "Nurses do much more than America
would permit. Can't always chose doctor you want, long waits.
Doctors keep patients coming back, and over-prescribe drugs to
increase their income. Doctors richest group behind real estate.
Fraud common, often in newspapers."
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