NURS 501 Health Policy and Ethics COMPLETED EXAM 2026-2027 (12pgs)

1. What is the difference between universal health coverage and single-payer health system? Provide examples of countries that have adopted each model. - Universal health coverage (UHC) is a policy goal that aims to ensure that all people have access to essential health services without facing financial hardship. UHC does not necessarily imply that the government is the sole payer or provider of health care, but rather that it ensures adequate funding, regulation, and coordination of the health system. Single-payer health system is a specific way of achieving UHC, in which the government collects taxes and pays for all health care services through a single public fund. Examples of countries that have adopted UHC include Germany, Japan, and Thailand. Examples of countries that have adopted single-payer health system include Canada, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. - Rationale: This question tests the students' understanding of the concepts and implications of different health financing models, as well as their knowledge of global examples. 2. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of decentralizing health care decision-making to subnational levels of government? - Decentralizing health care decision-making to subnational levels of government can have several advantages, such as increasing responsiveness to local needs and preferences, enhancing accountability and transparency, fostering innovation and experimentation, and improving coordination and integration of services. However, decentralization can also pose several challenges, such as creating inequities across regions, reducing economies of scale and scope, weakening national standards and regulations, increasing administrative costs and complexity, and creating potential conflicts and duplication of functions. - Rationale: This question assesses the students' ability to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of different levels of governance in health care delivery, as well as their awareness of the trade-offs involved. 3. What are the main types of health insurance systems and how do they affect the behavior of consumers and providers? - The main types of health insurance systems are social health insurance, private health insurance, and community-based health insurance. Social health insurance is a system in which workers and employers contribute to a public fund that covers a defined package of benefits for all or most of the population. Private health insurance is a system in which individuals or groups purchase coverage from private insurers that compete in the market. Community-based health insurance is a system in which members of a community pool their resources to provide mutual protection against health risks. Health insurance systems affect the behavior of consumers and providers through various mechanisms, such as moral hazard, adverse selection, risk pooling, risk adjustment, cost-sharing, provider payment methods, and quality assurance. - Rationale: This question evaluates the students' comprehension of the main features and functions of different health insurance systems, as well as their ability to apply economic concepts to explain their effects on health care utilization and provision.