By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy hobbies
    The Importance of Hobbies for Our Health
    September 15, 2024
    Whiplash
    Understanding Whiplash: A Guide For Healthcare Practitioners
    January 22, 2025
    research chemicals and health care
    Chemical Research Drive Medical Breakthroughs
    June 14, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospitals and Providers Using NHIN (Nationwide Health Information Network)
    March 11, 2012
    Image
    Physicians With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores Employ Strong Patient-Centered Communication Skills
    May 7, 2013
    My Solution to the Healthcare Crisis
    March 31, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Can We Learn From European Hospice Care and Life Insurance Policies?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > What Can We Learn From European Hospice Care and Life Insurance Policies?
Global HealthcareHealth ReformPublic Health

What Can We Learn From European Hospice Care and Life Insurance Policies?

charlie.kimball
charlie.kimball
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

  Worldwide, health care continues to be a hot topic for debate. No one can seem to agree on what system is best. In the United States, healthcare is different compared to other countries and many people long for a universal health care system like the types found in Europe and elsewhere around the globe. But is universal health care really better than a private system or government-funded program like Medicaid? When it comes to hospice care and life insurance, there may be several things the United States can learn from Europe. Price Comparison Many people feel that health care is a basic human right, not a luxury. So when it comes to comparing the cost of private American health care to universal health care abroad, there’s little contest. Unlike their American counterparts, Europeans with access to Universal Health care don’t pay for their health care outright; instead, their tax money goes toward the general public fund for health insurance. Even still, Americans spend more on health care than any other country in the world. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2010, the United States spent over $8,000 on each person’s health. In comparison, most of Europe spends an average of $3,500 USD on each citizen’s health per year. Even the next highest spending country in the OECD, Norway, only spends $5,300 USD per citizen each year. Unfortunately, the fact that Americans spend more on health care doesn’t necessarily mean that the health care they have access to is better. When comparing the number of physicians and hospital beds in the US, Americans continue to fall behind their OECD counterparts. As of 2010, Americans have 2.4 physicians per 1,000 people, whereas the OECD average is 3.1. There’s an even greater discrepancy with hospital beds as the US average is 2.6 per 1,000 people and the OECD boasts a significantly higher 3.4 beds. Hospice in the US and Abroad The gaps only worsen when it comes to dying and end-of-life care. Less than a quarter of the people who die in America make use of hospice services. In contrast, the WHO reports that nearly thirty million people die each year from diseases that require hospice care. Of those, the biggest portion is comprised of adults over 60 years old. In other words, the vast majority of Americans who should seek hospice care at the end of their lives do not receive it. While it is true this could be for a number of reasons, including refusal to seek hospice care, the comparison still is not good. With fewer physicians and hospital beds in the US, it may be harder to find a hospice care program when one approaches the end of their life. Although Medicaid is widely available to most senior citizens in the United States, those who need it the most may find it difficult to acquire. Furthermore, many Americans choose to go without insurance, preferring instead to pay for their own health care out of pocket. This further limits their access to health care providers as they approach the end of their lives. In Europe, there is a tremendous discrepancy amongst countries and their levels of hospice availability. While palliative care is a recognized subspecialty in England and Ireland, other European countries are just now beginning to develop certification for hospice care. Where Americans fail to seek hospice care, Europeans request it but find the quality of care to be lacking. One report from the Care Quality Commission in the United Kingdom states that forty percent of hospitals are in dire need of improving their hospice programs. As Europe furthers efforts to improve availability and quality of palliative care, America could stand to take note and follow suit. According to the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), there is a push to improve not only the quality of care patients receive, but also to normalize health care standards across facilities, with continued efforts to improve in the foreseeable future. Life Insurance in Europe and America As people approach the end of their lives, there is another factor besides hospice that tends to become extremely important: life insurance. But, despite the lead Europe seems to have over the United States in regards to the price and availability of health care, the reverse seems to be true in regards to life insurance. Reports over the past several years have indicated a downward spiral in European life insurance. Since there is not one single organization to regulate life insurance in Europe, the types of policies available to citizens tend to fluctuate greatly. Because of this, Europe is currently undergoing drastic changes in how they write and service life insurance. Like hospice care, there is a tremendous effort to regulate life insurance across international borders since many countries have begun to reduce the amount and types of benefits their policyholders receive. Regardless of your financial status or background, end of life care is a very serious topic when you realize the end may be near. Luckily for individuals approaching their golden years, it looks like there is a global effort to improve both the quality of hospice care as well as the benefits of life insurance. As the United States and Europe both look to level the playing field and provide better health care for their citizens, it appears that end of life care may become less of a burden on families in the not too distant future.

TAGGED:end-of-life carehospice carelife insurance
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

7 Best Blogs to Follow About Healthcare Legislation

June 2, 2014
money and steth pic
Health Reform

Health Reward Stat of the Day – Sept 9

September 9, 2015

Global Handwashing Day: Support Global Handwashing

October 13, 2011

State Health Insurance Exchanges: A Solution in Search of a Problem

April 14, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?