Societies differ in how individuals define themselves and their relationship to one another as well as their relationship to government and the state. These unique relationships re, according to O’Neil, “bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted.” One such institution is the healthcare system of a nation. In France, does the happy, close-knit society allow for the excellent health care system that they have, or is this excellent healthcare system the cause of the happiness the French feel?
The French healthcare system, classified as the “best health system in the world” in 2000 by the World Health Organization, provides universal healthcare for its citizens.
“The success of the French health system is evidenced in the general health of the French population”, says one article. The life expectancy of a French citizen increases more than three months each year, and French women have the second highest life expectancy rate in the world.
One article described the healthcare system:”The French government provides a number of diverse and comprehensive healthcare rights. For more than 96 percent of the population, medical care is either entirely free or is reimbursed 100 percent. The French also have the right to choose among healthcare providers, regardless of their income level. For example, they can consult a variety of doctors and specialists or choose a public, private, university or general hospital. Moreover, the waiting lists for surgeries found in other government supported healthcare systems do not exist in France.”
To fund this system 60% of the funds come from workers’ salaries and the remaining 40% come from indirect taxes on alcohol and tobacco and by direct contribution paid by all revenue proportional to income.
On the surface, it appears that health insurance reimburses medical care providers less in France than in other European countries. However, more than 80 percent of French people have supplemental insurance, often provided by their employers. The poorest have free universal healthcare, which is financed by taxes. Additionally, the treatment costs for those who suffer from long-term illnesses are completely reimbursed.
Overall, it appears the French healthcare system likely a factor in the happiness of the French. Nevertheless, more importantly, it is French society that allows for a system like this to be so successful. The French have a national identity that is strengthened through nationalism and a common ethnicity. This bond and the more homogeneous society allows the French citizens to favor a system that benefits the entire population. In contrast, the United States does not favor universal healthcare—most likely because people do not want to be paying for other individuals, unlike themselves, to benefit. It is France’s strong state and nationalistic citizens that allow for the success of a universal system.
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