Commonwealth Fund

Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.

International Health Policy Center

Paying for international healthcare

Variations on a Theme: A Look at Universal Health Coverage in Eight Countries

| To The Point

Featured

Choosing Wisely: An International Movement Toward Appropriate Medical Care

| Publication

What Is the Status of Women’s Health and Health Care in the U.S. Compared to Ten Other Countries?

| Issue Briefs

“More Is Not Always Better”: One Campaign to Stop Overuse of Medical Care

| Podcast

Commonwealth Fund International Health News Brief: 2019, No. 2

| Publication

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

Robin Osborn
Robin Osborn
Vice President and Director, International Program in 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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Case Study

Don’t Do Imaging for Low-Back Pain Within the First Six Weeks, Unless Red Flags Are Present


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Case Study

Don’t Routinely Prescribe Antibiotics for Acute Mild-to-Moderate Sinusitis Unless Symptoms Last for Seven or More Days, or Symptoms Worsen After Initial Clinical Improvement


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Case Study

Don’t Use Benzodiazepines or Other Sedative–Hypnotics in Older Adults as First Choice for Insomnia, Agitation, or Delirium


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Don’t Maintain Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Therapy for Gastrointestinal Symptoms Without an Attempt to Stop or Reduce PPI at Least Once per Year in Most Patients


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Don’t Perform Stress Cardiac Imaging or Advanced Noninvasive Imaging in the Initial Evaluation of Patients Without Cardiac Symptoms Unless High-Risk Markers Are Present


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Case Study

Don’t Use Antipsychotics as the First Choice to Treat Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Case Study

Don’t Perform Routine Preoperative Testing Before Low-Risk Surgical Procedures


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Case Study

Don’t Use Antimicrobials to Treat Bacteriuria in Older Adults Unless Specific Urinary Tract Symptoms Are Present


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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Publication

Choosing Wisely: An International Movement Toward Appropriate Medical Care


By Shanoor Seervai
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Case Study

Don’t Place, or Leave in Place, Urinary Catheters for Incontinence, Convenience, or Monitoring in Noncritically Ill Patients


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson
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To The Point

Variations on a Theme: A Look at Universal Health Coverage in Eight Countries


By Roosa Tikkanen
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Case Study

Don’t Perform Annual Stress Cardiac Imaging as Part of Routine Follow-Up in Asymptomatic Patients


By Karen Born, Wendy Levinson