ASU Insight: Zocalo - Should Health Care Systems Be National?

Around the world, health care is seen as a responsibility of nations. Even in the United States, a national system of health care and insurance is a longstanding, if still unrealized, goal. But in the 21st century, is a national system or a national government really the best way to guarantee and provide coverage? Diseases spread easily around the globe. Digital technology permits at least some forms of care across vast distances. And with so many national governments weakened by political polarization, some argue health care should be delivered by local governments and institutions that can be more responsive and creative. What is the case for national health care today? What do we know from other countries about the most effective systems to treat the sick and help the healthy stay that way? Sir Malcolm Grant, chairman of NHS England, and Dr. Denis A. Cortese, emeritus president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic and now director of the Health Care Delivery and Policy Program at Arizona State University, visit Zócalo to examine the best models for creating a healthier world.