Greece: Health Indices For many years, Greeks have been actively seeking improvement and restructuring of the country’s health care system. Despite this, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the country as one of the best in the world, 14th place to be exact. This ranking topped both Germany ranking 25th, and the United Kingdom ranking 18th (World Health Organization, 2000). Not only does the country rank in the top twenty in terms of health, thanks to better living conditions over the past fifty years, the life expectancy of Greece at birth is almost 81 years, exceeding the national average of 80 years. Many would link this increase in life expectancy to the increased spending in health care per person; however, several other factors play a major role with living standards being the number one. Total health spending accounts for 9.6% of the gross domestic product in Greece. With a ranking as such would explain the overall health of Greeks coming in with 76% of the population being in good health. In 2010, about 87% of the top 20% of the adult population in Greece rated their health as good or very good, compared to about 69% for the bottom 20% (OECD, 2010).
Health Care Systems: Greece vs. United States Like many other countries, there are a lot of similarities as well as difference in health care systems between Greece and the United States. Unlike the United States, Health care in Greece is endowed by the state through a universal health care system. Health care in the United States is supplied by several legal units, primarily through the government in the public sector. Over half of healthcare funding in the United States comes from programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE, and many others. Public hospitals in Greece are constructed by government owned companies as oppose to the United States where most facilities in their health care system are privately owned. However, there are some federal, state, county, and local government owned facilities. Healthcare in Greece is provided by the National Healthcare Service (ESY) while in the United States, individual health care professionals, health care facilities, and medical products are the sole providers. Thanks to the universal health care system in Greece, the country is able to provide residents and their families’ free, low cost health care services. Other benefits include free laboratory services, maternity care, medical-related appliances or devices and transportation. Emergency services are also free to anyone in the country of Greece regardless of nationality. Dental and eye treatments add to the list of free services provided however, dentures crowns, and corrective lenses are usually at the expense of the patient. Pharmacy services are also