There are several types of health care financing systems in Europe, and they may differ from country to country. However, the most common way of financing medicine in Europe is through insurance financing.
The European health insurance system has been developed for a long time, and has been successfully operating for several centuries. Insurance is usually carried out through special companies that provide policies with different levels of coverage. In EU countries, insurance is often mandatory and is financed by insurance premiums paid by both citizens and persons with residence permit status. This makes it possible to guarantee the availability of medical care for all categories of the population.
The insurance premium can be set either as a fixed amount or as a percentage of income. Different insurance systems coexist in different countries, and the percentage of free services, operations (and even medicines) under the insurance policy will also vary greatly from one state to a neighboring one. This may depend on many factors such as the type of insurance, the cost of the policy, etc.
However, there is also budget financing, when the cost of some medical services is paid from the state treasury. This method of financing is most often used in countries with a developed public health system.
There are many rankings of countries in terms of health care, which are compiled on the basis of various criteria, such as the quality of medical care, life expectancy, the level of education of medical personnel, the availability of medical services, etc. These ratings can help people compare the level of medicine in different countries and decide where to apply for medical help. It is worth remembering that such ratings are not the only source of information and do not always cover all aspects of the quality of the medical system. Key indicators will be different from year to year, as well as the state budget, the cost of medical services, the share of state insurance and much more, the equipment of clinics and the professionalism of doctors are growing, so there will be no unambiguous winner country with undeniable sovereignty in this area, but nevertheless Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain are the leaders in Europe. Due to the high level of medicine in these countries, an increase in the life expectancy of their population is also observed every year.
It is difficult to say which country in the EU is best for treatment, as it depends on many factors, such as the type of disease, the availability of the right equipment and the qualifications of the doctor, as well as the individual needs and preferences of the patient. It is generally accepted that in Europe the level of medical care is generally high, but in each country there are famous clinics with different areas of expertise that have proven themselves from the best side.
The policy of providing medical care to refugees and expats in Europe also differs depending on the state. In some countries they are entitled to free medical care, in others they pay for it themselves. Some places may also have restrictions on access to certain types of medical care (such as dental) or certain clinics (open only to local residents with a valid internal insurance number). It is worth noting that in most European countries, refugees and expats have the right to medical care in case of emergency.
However, if you consider the prospect of medical tourism in advance in order to choose the best treatment option available, it will be useful to take care of citizenship obtainment of one of the European countries to overcome most of the obstacles along the way.