1. Organisation

We can divide Europes’ health systems roughly into 2 different categories:

1. financed through taxes: health services of this country are financed through tax revenues;
2. financed through fees: health services of this country are financed through social contributions.
   

A more differentiated division:

• mainly financed out of public funds:
  Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Portugal
• financed through equal share of public funds and social insurance contributions:
• mainly financed through social insurance contributions:
  Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg
• almost only financed through social insurance contributions:
  France, Netherlands
  

Moreover it is possible to insure yourself additionally in the various countries. Different forms exist:

Substitution: the optional health insurance replaces the compulsory insurance: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands

Supplement: the optional health insurance is an addition to the compulsory insurance; i.e. services, which are not covered by the compulsory insurance, can be offered:
Examples: Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg

Addition: with the optional health insurance the insured party has more opportunities to choose and/or shorter waiting periods:
Austria, Portugal, Great Britain

• 20094 – Germany
• 5290 – France
• 4884 – Netherlands

They were also relatively high in Great Britain with 3490 and in Spain with 2360.
Nominal premium income in other countries:

• Ireland – 660
• Austria– 1136
• Denmark – 282
• Finland – 222
• Luxembourg – 30
• Portugal – 172
• Belgium – 317
• Italy– 1163
• Sweden– 27

The chosen financial system also influences the supply of out-patient services. In Germany, France and the Benelux countries the so-called extramural care (extramural – outside of the hospital walls) is guaranteed through doctors, who set up their own business. In Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal however, the out-patient service will be offered through governmental health services.

The different health systems represent a problem concerning the established liberality within the EU. It is planned to create more harmonization. We are, however, still far away from a standardized European health system.

Overview - Table of the European health insurance system:

Quality of health systems in Europe - country-order: