National Health Insurance History
Introduction to National Health Insurance History
The first country to provide health insurance on a national scale was Germany. The German chancellor Prince Otto von Bismarck obtained passage of a compulsory sickness-insurance law in 1883, which was financed by a state subsidy. Various types of national health insurance were adopted by other European countries, including Austria-Hungary later in the 19th century, Norway in 1909, Sweden in 1910, and Britain and Russia in 1911. After World War II (1939-1945) the growth of national systems of health insurance in Europe was extensive, although the amount of benefits, conditions of eligibility, treatment of dependents, and provisions for maternity care varied widely.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about National Health Insurance History in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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