Commonwealth Fund

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International Health Policy Center

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes?

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes?

| Issue Briefs

Featured

A Tale of Two Systems: Primary Care Physicians in the U.S. and the Netherlands Reflect on Their Work

| Publication

International Health News Brief: 2019, no. 7

| Newsletter Article

International Survey: Primary Care Physicians in U.S. Struggle More to Coordinate Care and Communicate with Other Providers But Offer Patients More Health IT Tools

| Journal Article

Celebrating International Universal Health Coverage Day: How Three Countries Succeeded, One Step at a Time

| To The Point

Benchmarking U.S. health system performance against other high-income nations, and highlighting best practices from around the world, can help the U.S. face the challenge of mounting pressure of lowering health care costs while maintaining access to the latest in medical technologies, improving quality and safety, and making the health system more responsive to patients’ needs and preferences. Read our International News Brief for the latest policy updates from partner countries.

Country Profiles

Read full profiles of international health systems describing the role of government, how systems are organized and financed, who and what is covered, and what is being done to ensure quality of care, reduce disparities, and promote care coordination.

View All Profiles

Health System Features

Compare the key components of international health systems, including health insurance, health system organization and governance, health care quality and coordination, cost containment, and more.

View All Features

Selected Statistics

Explore comparative data on key health system characteristics and performance indicators such as overall health care spending, hospital spending and utilization, health care access, and more.

View All Statistics

International Health Care System

Across the globe, health care policymakers face mounting pressure to lower costs while improving the quality and safety of care. The U.S. can learn a lot by examining other health systems, their performance in relation to ours, and their health care delivery and payment innovations. Explore this site to learn more about the health care systems in 19 countries.

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All Country Profiles

Australia
Canada
China
Denmark
England
France
Germany
India
Israel
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Singapore
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United States

International Health Policy Surveys

The Commonwealth Fund and its partners conduct a cross-national survey of health care system performance annually

See the Surveys

Multinational Health System Chartbooks

These chartbooks use data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare health care systems and performance on a range of topics, including spending, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceuticals, prevention, mortality, quality and safety, and prices.

See the Chartbooks

Compare Country Health System Performance

Select indicators from The Commonwealth Fund's latest International Health Policy Surveys and compare health system performance in 11 industrialized countries

Compare Countries

Our Experts

Reggie Williams
Reginald D. Williams II
Vice President, International Health Policy and Practice Innovations
Expertise: International Health Policy Center

Fellowships

The Commonwealth Fund's Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice provide a unique opportunity for mid-career health services researchers and practitioners from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom to spend up to 12 months in the United States, conducting original research and working with leading U.S. health policy experts. 

Learn More

The International Health Policy and Innovations Program

The Commonwealth Fund’s International Health Policy and Practice Innovations program believes that despite differences in how they organize and finance health care, other countries have a lot to offer U.S. delivery system leaders and policymakers seeking new solutions. 

Learn More

The Latest Publications

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Issue Briefs

Bundled-Payment Models Around the World: How They Work and What Their Impact Has Been


By Jeroen Struijs, Eline F. de Vries, Caroline A. Baan, Paul F. van Gils, Meredith B. Rosenthal
Journal Article

How Are Countries Innovating the Delivery of Integrated Health and Social Care?


Journal Article

How Can Government Policies Support Innovative Integrated Health and Social Care Programs?


Newsletter Article

International Health News Brief: 2020, no. 1


patient in the US receiving health care treatment
Journal Article

Does the United States Allocate Its Social Spending Dollars Wisely?


By Roosa Tikkanen, Eric C. Schneider, M.D.
Other Publication

Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data, 2019


By Roosa Tikkanen
U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes?
Issue Briefs

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes?


By Roosa Tikkanen, Melinda K. Abrams
How Primary Care is Different in the U.S. and the Netherlands
Podcast

“Not on Banker’s Hours”: How Primary Care Differs in the Netherlands and the U.S.


By Shanoor Seervai
The Dose: Why Do Some Countries Do More C-Sections Than Others?
Podcast

Why Do Some Countries Do More C-Sections than Others?


By Shanoor Seervai
Newsletter Article

International Health News Brief: 2019, no. 7


United Nations flags in NY
To The Point

Celebrating International Universal Health Coverage Day: How Three Countries Succeeded, One Step at a Time


By Roosa Tikkanen, Elizabeth Fowler
two doctors in the Netherlands
Publication

A Tale of Two Systems: Primary Care Physicians in the U.S. and the Netherlands Reflect on Their Work


By Noam Levey