| Social security primarily refers to a field | | | | insurance "sickness fund" finances health |
| of social welfare service concerned with | | | | care through premiums determined by a |
| social protection, or protection against | | | | percentage of a person's wage. |
| socially recognized conditions, including | | | | |
| poverty, old age, disability, unemployment, | | | | Varieties of public systems |
| families with children and others. Although | | | | |
| some publications use the terms "social | | | | Most developed countries currently have |
| security" and "social protection" | | | | publicly funded health systems that cover the |
| interchangeably, social security is used both | | | | great majority of the population. The notable |
| more narrowly (to refer only to schemes with | | | | exception is the United States. For some |
| the formal title of 'social security') and | | | | examples, see the United Kingdom's National |
| more widely (referring to many kinds of | | | | Health Service (NHS), or the Medicare systems |
| social welfare scheme). Social security may | | | | in Canada and in Australia. In the United |
| refer to | | | | States, the role of the government in |
| | | | healthcare provision is a source of continued |
| social insurance, where people receive | | | | and sharp debate. |
| benefits or services in recognition of | | | | |
| contributions to an insurance scheme. These | | | | Even among these countries, different |
| services typically include provision for | | | | approaches exist to the funding and provision |
| retirement pensions, disability insurance, | | | | of medical services. Systems may be funded |
| survivor benefits and unemployment insurance. | | | | from general government revenues (as in Italy |
| | | | and Canada), or through a government social |
| income maintenance—mainly the | | | | security system (as in France, Belgium, |
| distribution of cash in the event of | | | | Japan, and Germany) with a separate budget |
| interruption of employment, including | | | | and hypothecated taxes. The proportion of the |
| retirement, disability and unemployment | | | | cost of care covered also differs: in Canada, |
| | | | all hospital care is paid for by the |
| services provided by administrations | | | | government, while in Japan patients must pay |
| responsible for social security. In different | | | | 10 to 30% of the cost of a hospital stay. |
| countries this may include medical care, | | | | Services provided by public systems vary. For |
| aspects of social work and even industrial | | | | example, the Belgian government pays the bulk |
| relations. | | | | of the fees for dental and eye care, while |
| | | | the Australian government covers neither. |
| More rarely, the term is also used to refer | | | | |
| to basic security, a term roughly equivalent | | | | Publicly funded medicine may be administered |
| to access to basic necessities—things | | | | and provided by the government, as in the |
| such as food, clothing, shelter, education | | | | United Kingdom; in some systems, though, |
| and medical care. | | | | medicine is publicly funded but most health |
| | | | providers are private entities, as in Canada. |
| Income maintenance | | | | The organization providing public health |
| | | | insurance is not necessarily a public |
| Social security policy is usually applied | | | | administration, and its budget may be |
| through various programs designed to provide | | | | isolated from the main state budget. Some |
| a population with income at times when they | | | | systems do not provide universal healthcare, |
| are unable to care for themselves. Income | | | | or restrict coverage to public health |
| maintenance is based in a combination of five | | | | facilities. Some countries, such as Germany, |
| main types of program: | | | | have multiple public insurance organizations |
| | | | linked by a common legal framework. |
| social insurance, considered above | | | | |
| | | | Innovations in health care can be very |
| means-tested benefits. This is financial | | | | expensive. Population aging generally implies |
| assistance provided for those who are unable | | | | more health care, at a time when the taxed |
| to cover basic needs, such as food, clothing | | | | working population decreases. |
| and housing, due to poverty or lack of income | | | | |
| because of unemployment, sickness, | | | | Two-tier health care |
| disability, or caring for children. While | | | | |
| assistance is often in the form of financial | | | | Almost every country that has a publicly |
| payments, those eligible for social welfare | | | | funded health care system also has a parallel |
| can usually access health and educational | | | | private system, generally catering to private |
| services free of charge. The amount of | | | | insurance holders. While one goal of public |
| support is enough to cover basic needs and | | | | systems is to provide equal service to all, |
| eligibility is often subject to a | | | | this egalitarianism is often partial. Every |
| comprehensive and complex assessment of an | | | | nation either has parallel private providers |
| applicant's social and financial situation. | | | | or its citizens are free to travel to a |
| | | | nation that does, so there is effectively a |
| non-contributory benefits. Several countries | | | | two-tier healthcare system that reduces the |
| have special schemes, administered with no | | | | equality of service. Private hospitals often |
| requirement for contributions and no means | | | | get newer and better equipment and |
| test, for people in certain categories of | | | | facilities, and since private providers are |
| need - for example, veterans of armed forces, | | | | typically better paid, some medical |
| people with disabilities and very old people. | | | | professionals motivated by remunerative |
| | | | concerns migrate to the private |
| discretionary benefits. Some schemes are | | | | sector.[citation needed] |
| based on the discretion of an official, such | | | | |
| as a social worker. | | | | From the inception of the NHS model (1948), |
| | | | public hospitals in the United Kingdom have |
| universal or categorical benefits, also known | | | | included "amenity beds" which would typically |
| as demogrants. These are non-contributory | | | | be siderooms fitted more comfortably, and |
| benefits given for whole sections of the | | | | private wards in some hospitals where for a |
| population without a test of means or need, | | | | fee more amenities are provided. These are |
| such as family allowances or the public | | | | predominantly used for surgical treatment, |
| pension in New Zealand (known as New Zealand | | | | and operations are generally carried out in |
| Superannuation). | | | | the same operating theatres as NHS work and |
| | | | by the same personnel. These amenity beds do |
| Publicly funded health care systems are | | | | not exist in other socialized healthcare |
| financed in one of two ways: tax-based | | | | systems, such as the Spanish one. From time |
| financing or social security financing. In | | | | to time, the NHS pays for private hospitals |
| some systems, taxation is the primary means | | | | (arranged hospitals) to take on surgical |
| of financing health care. Everyone receives | | | | cases for which NHS facilities do not have |
| the same level of coverage regardless of | | | | sufficient capacity. This work is usually, |
| their ability to pay, their level of | | | | but not always, done by the same doctors in |
| taxation, or risk factors. In others, | | | | private hospitals. |
| compulsory membership in a social health | | | | |