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International Health Policy Center

The 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems: A Useful Resource for Interpreting Country Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems: A Useful Resource for Interpreting Country Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

| Blog

Featured

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

| Publication

What Can the U.S. Learn from Innovative Strategies Used in Other Countries to Respond to COVID-19?

| To The Point

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

How the U.S. Compares to Other Countries in Responding to COVID-19: Populations at Risk, Health System Capacity, and Affordability of Care

| 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.

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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.

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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
Brazil
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. 

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The Latest Publications

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The 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems: A Useful Resource for Interpreting Country Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
To the Point

The 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems: A Useful Resource for Interpreting Country Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic


By Roosa Tikkanen, George A. Wharton, Ana Djordjevic, Elias Mossialos, Reginald D. Williams II
mental health services_2
Issue Briefs

Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries


By Roosa Tikkanen, Katharine Fields, Reginald D. Williams II, Melinda K. Abrams
How Germany’s Approach to COVID-19 Sets the Country Apart
Podcast

How Germany’s Approach to COVID-19 Sets the Country Apart


By Shanoor Seervai
Newsletter Article

International Health News Brief: COVID-19 Special Edition


By Roosa Tikkanen, Molly FitzGerald, Katharine Fields
socially isolated seniors in England during COVID-19 pandemic
To The Point

Solutions from Around the World: Tackling Loneliness and Social Isolation During COVID-19


By Melinda K. Abrams, Reginald D. Williams II, Roosa Tikkanen, Tanya Shah, Matt Pantell
COVID-19 patient in France transported to Germany
To The Point

What Can the U.S. Learn from Innovative Strategies Used in Other Countries to Respond to COVID-19?


By Umar Ikram, Christer Mjåset, M.D., Anne-Marie Boxall, Mylaine Breton, Ines Gravey, Holly Krelle, Véronique Raimond, Reginald D. Williams II
doctors huddle re: COVID-19
To The Point

How the U.S. Compares to Other Countries in Responding to COVID-19: Populations at Risk, Health System Capacity, and Affordability of Care


By Roosa Tikkanen, Gabriella N. Aboulafia, Reginald D. Williams II
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.