Among rich countries, Britain is one of the few in which patient consultations with a GP or family doctor are free. Australia, the US, France, Ireland, Sweden – all have varying models of paid-for healthcare under which falling sick will cost you.
In France, upfront payments are reimbursed under health insurance schemes known as mutuelles. In countries such as Japan and Germany, residents are required to take out health insurance to cover them for the full range of medical interventions.
In the US, health insurance is central to the healthcare system, but more than 30 million people remain uninsured. Though the system fosters excellence and innovation in places, the messy combination of underinsurance and overinsurance has left the US with the highest healthcare costs in the developed world and some of the worst overall health outcomes.
Only Spain comes close to the NHS free primary care system, offering universal healthcare to anyone who is resident – legally or illegally – in the country, as well as to tourists and other visitors. Since 2012, undocumented foreigners have been entitled only to emergency care.