Medical billing and coding professionals working in the United States may be curious to know how their profession works in other countries. The American system of payment combines government and private insurance reimbursement for medical services performed at private, non-profit, and university-associated health care facilities, the latter of which are generally considered to be publicly financed.
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As medical billing and coding professionals working in this country undoubtedly know, successfully submitting bids for compensation can be quite complicated. Often times terms like “socialized medicine” are mentioned in political debates, leaving one to wonder, is medical billing and coding simpler in other countries? Actually, the medical billing and coding system in the United States is a combination of elements found in other countries.
The healthcare system in Canada, as in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, is known as single-payer national health insurance systems. Health insurance is run by the government and paid with tax dollars while physicians work in private practice. Medical billing professionals still have plenty of codes to sort through, but all claims go through the provincial health authorities.
The United Kingdom has a national health service model, in which physicians are salaried, hospitals are publicly owned, and healthcare is free at the point of use, all funded through taxes. There is also an optional private healthcare marketplace that parallels the public, and it is here where US medical billing and coding professionals will find their British counterparts.
In Germany everyone is eligible for health care coverage, which is paid for with non-profit Sick Insurance Funds. Various taxes are collected from employers and employees to build these funds, and compensation rates are negotiated at the state-level through interest groups such as physicians associations. Private insurance is also available for purchase. Citizens who utilize health care services must pay for these at a rate determined by the individual’s salary. Hospitals in Germany are reimbursed based on the number of days a patient stays more than the procedures performed. The medical billing and coding profession in Germany definitely has a stable future.
The Netherlands, like Germany, primarily finances its healthcare system through a sickness fund, while actual health care is administered through not-for-profit agencies. Most of the funding for the healthcare system is acquired through employee and employer contributions, though this is currently undergoing a transition that will result in funding being sourced from taxes. Private insurance is also available, and approximately 30 percent of the population is covered by such. Like in Germany, medical billing and coding professionals have their work cut out for them in the Netherlands as well.
As the healthcare system here in the United States continues to be transformed, those working in the medical billing and coding profession need not worry. More people being covered by insurance means more work for those in this line of business. However just what country’s, if any, the healthcare system in the US ends up most resembling remains to be seen.
Average Physician Salary
- US $163,000
- Canada $110,000
- UK $120,000
- Germany $120,000
- Netherlands $120,000
Average Nurse Salary
- US $38,016
- Canada $26,604
- UK $33,384
- Germany $26,928
- Netherlands $26,833
Average Percentage of GDP Spent on Healthcare
- US 17%
- Canada 9.5%
- UK 6.7%
- Germany 10.6%
- Netherlands 8.6%