Cuban healthcare system

Question 1

What does the Cuban healthcare system emphasize?

Answer 1

Preventative/primary care, maternal/child health.

Question 2

What is the rate of physicians per 1,000 people?

Answer 2

7.52 per 1,000 people (very high!)

Question 3

What is the IMR?

Answer 3

4.2 per 1,000 births

Question 4

How is the system characterized?

Answer 4

Healthcare is free for all Cuban citizens. Community-level care providers are integrated into the community.

Question 5

How is the system financed?

Answer 5

NHI, funded by a payroll tax. Low pay for doctors, low gov’t controlled wages, exported medical care.

Question 6

What are challenges of the system?

Answer 6

Repressive political regime/no liberty/human rights violations/no free
press/no free elections
Individual surveillance/no privacy
Little to no individual autonomy in decision-making
Lack of supplies/equipment/medication
System may not be sustainable as population ages
Tobacco consumption, mental health, and suicide outcomes poor
No external oversight of statistics