Western Europe, Health Systems of

The health systems of western European countries guarantee access to health care to effectively all of their populations. They are the product of common structural processes of industrialization, liberal democracy, and organized capitalism, which have served as a platform for the development and application of biomedical and, increasingly, managerial science. This article describes the typical legal and administrative arrangements of social insurance systems and national health services. It explores differences within and between groups of countries in the provision, finance, and regulation of health care and reviews evidence of convergence between them.