Hair Stylist Talks Universal Coverage in Edinburgh, Scotland

Hair stylists in Scotland don’t worry about their health care like they do in America because of universal coverage. Here’s what one stylist said during a recent visit to an Edinburgh salon.

Who is eligible for health care? Six million people. Anyone who lives in Scotland—one of four countries in the United Kingdom—is eligible for care in the public system.

What is the public system? National Health Service. NHS Scotland is a government body that owns and operates clinics and hospitals and contracts with independent doctors, hospitals, and providers.

What does it cover? A lot. NHS Scotland’s services include doctor visits, inpatient hospitalization, emergency care, mental health, and prescription drugs.

Where does he receive care? General Practitioner. The stylist gets his primary care from a local GP office, which he found on NHS Scotland’s website.

How much do Scots spend*? Less than Americans. In 2018, total expenditure per capita was $4,070 in the U.K. and $10,586 in the U.S., and the percentage of GDP was 9.8 and 16.9, respectively.

How is health care paid for? Taxes. Scots don’t pay anything at the point of care when obtained in NHS Scotland’s provider network.

How many people have private insurance? Fewer than 10 percent. It pays for private providers, as well as services such as dental care.

What else? Satisfaction. Scots are happy with NHS Scotland, but it is working to improve its management of aging and chronically-ill populations and ability to measure quality.

This Scot was well informed about the U.S. health care system, including Obamacare and Medicare4All. He also couldn’t believe that some Americans can’t afford coverage, while he is mastering health insurance.

Note: Scotland data was unavailable.

Sources: OECD (Health at a Glance, Health Profile 2019, Reviews of Quality 2018)