Contents -- Preface -- The Consortium -- The US-EU-MEE Program -- The Health Care Dilemma -- Acknowledgments -- Part I: Denmark: Socially Minded Welfare Policies and Universal Health Care -- 1. Danish and US Health Care Systems Compared Miriam S. Wetzel -- Culture and Politics -- Organization of the Health Care System - Denmark -- Health Care Reform -- Division of Responsibility -- Wait Time -- Health Care at the Patient Level - Denmark and the US -- Screening and Health Promotion - Denmark and the US -- Ethics -- Malpractice -- Medical Education -- Costs -- Denmark-United States Comparison -- Private Insurance in Denmark -- Holding Down Costs -- Bulk purchasing -- Prescription drug coverage -- The "G-scheme" -- Practice guidelines -- GP gatekeepers -- Cost sharing -- Limiting tests and reducing hospital stays -- Market forces -- Physician compensation -- Sustainability -- Medical Outcomes: How Do Denmark and the US Compare? -- Life Expectancy at Birth in Years -- A Final Comparison -- Acknowledgments -- 2. Cases Written by US Students in Denmark -- Case 1: A Foreigner with Tuberculosis Brian Chan -- Hacim's Story -- Tuberculosis Detection and Treatment in Denmark -- Immigrants and Refugees: A Challenge to the Danish Public Health System -- Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in Denmark -- References -- Case 2: The Silent Killer Douglas Krakower -- Kirsten Anderson -- Attack! -- Hypertension Treatment in the Danish Health Care System -- The Cost of Hypertension Management in Denmark -- How are Costs Controlled? -- The Politics and Economics of Patient and Physician Education -- Conclusion -- Case 3: A Preemie in Denmark Peter Chin -- Unhappy Birthday -- New Troubles -- A Second Beginning -- Jante's Law -- Lise's Access to Care -- Care of Premature Infants in Denmark -- Costs of Tine's Hospital Care -- The Patient Perspective -- Tine's Future.

Case 4: Experiencing 'hygge' Jon Duke -- Ellen Konradsen -- The General Practitioner -- Hospital Emergency -- The Resident -- The Inpatient -- The Nurse -- Rounds -- Medical Students -- The Specialist -- Experiencing "hygge" -- Following Your Heart -- Case 5: In the Same Boat Quentin Eichbaum -- Patient's Story #1: Jacob, Waiting for a Heart -- Jacob's Insurance, Social Welfare, and Personal Costs -- Organ Donation in Denmark -- Patient's Story #2: 'Lief', A Lucky Candidate for a Heart -- Heart Transplantation in Denmark Compared to the US -- Medical Malpractice, Patient Rights and the Patient-Doctor Relationship -- Comparison of the Cases of Jacob and Lief -- Concluding Impressions and Remarks -- Case 6: Like Father Like Son Diana Feldman -- House Call -- Hospital Admission -- The Danish Health Care System -- Treatment in the Emergency Department -- Jan Jacobsen's Story -- Drug Costs and Insurance -- Communication -- An Upsetting Time -- What is the Real Problem? -- Case 7: Toughing it Out with Back Pain Robert F. Garza -- Early Life -- Education and Life Changes -- The Pain Wins -- More Medical Care -- Waiting for an MRI -- A Fourth Operation -- A Student's Reflection -- 3. Cases Written by Danish Students in the US -- Case 8: A Doctor as Patient Jacob Thyssen -- Case 9: Health Care Contrast in New York Anne-Marie Dogonowski -- Helen Hill -- Harry Ferland -- Health Care Costs for Mrs. Hill and Mr. Ferland -- Mrs. Hill's Primary Care, Specialist Care and Follow-up -- Mr. Ferland's Medical Care -- Quality of Care and Patient Satisfaction -- Social Implications of Disease -- Mr. Ferland's Situation -- Social Aspects of Medical Treatment in the US -- Summary -- Part II: Germany: Solidarity and Cradle to Grave Health Care -- 4. German and US Health Care Systems Compared Miriam S. Wetzel and Ramin W. Parsa-Parsi -- Broad Similarities -- Common Problems.

Health Care Comparisons -- The German Health Care System -- Twentieth Century Changes -- The Five Pillars -- Costs -- Reform Efforts -- Angela Merkel's Reforms -- Main Points of the 2007 Reform -- Divided Opinion -- Acknowledgments -- 5. Cases Written by US Students in Germany -- Case 10: An Easter Surprise Anne Chiang -- April 1997 -- April 1998 -- April 1999 -- Case 11: Nie Krank Christine Hsu Rohde -- Changing Fortunes -- Changing Health -- At the Hospital -- Bad Aibling Rehabilitation -- Insurance Problems -- A New Development -- What Lies Ahead? -- Case 12: Frau Baumgartner and Herr Schneider Aimee Der-Huey Shu -- Frau Baumgartner's Story -- Tests and Treatment at LMU -- A Medication Change -- RA and Daily Life -- Herr Schneider's Story -- RA Diagnosis and Treatment -- Herr Schneider's Care in the German System -- Conclusion -- Case 13: For a Breath of Air Gregory Sawicki -- Case 14: A Startling Diagnosis Jack Casey -- Disease Progression -- A New Hope -- Moving Forward -- Case 15: A Ray of Hope S. Elissa Altin -- First Hospitalization -- In and Out of the Hospital -- Transfer -- Payment for Herr von Walther's Care -- Back to Herr von Walther -- Hospitalization February 2005-June 2005 -- Home Again -- Case 16: Herr Oscher and German Social Solidarity Alden Vincent Chiu -- Case 17: The Amalgam Question Anna Ratiner -- Michael's Medical History -- The Dental Connection -- The Ludwig Maximilians Study -- Aiding Science -- Case 18: A Life with DM Charles R. Wira III -- Summer Camp -- Career and Marriage -- Complications -- Specialist Care -- Transplantation -- Post-Transplant Diabetes -- Current Diabetes Management -- 6. Cases Written by German Students in the US -- Case 19: One More Cruise Marion Bohatschek -- A Trip to the Hospital -- Diagnosis -- Long-term Adjustments -- Finally the Trip -- Case 20: The Obesity Battle Benedikt Aulinger.

Meeting Frank -- Insurance Coverage -- Considering Surgery -- Difficult to Determine Costs -- Frank's Expectations -- A Second Case -- Jennifer's Insurance -- Waiting for Approval -- Case 21: The Poetry of Life and Breath Oliver Fuchs -- Two People with CF -- Jennie Robertson -- A Nursing Career -- Marriage and Motherhood -- Back in the Hospital -- Unforeseen Problem -- Another Insurance Problem -- Outlook for the Future -- A Second Case: Thomas O'Connor -- Thomas's Insurance -- A Clean-out at Beanpot Time -- Clinical Practice Guidelines -- Case 22: A Contrast in Care Corinna Jenderek -- Arthur Taylor -- Arthur Taylor's Insurance -- Treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital -- Treatment at New York Presbyterian -- Richard Coleman -- Illness Strikes -- Homeless -- The VA Domicile Program and Relapse -- Case 23: Bluegrass Music and Back Pain Malte Rieken -- Adam Manson's Story -- Mr. Manson's History -- New treatment efforts -- Hospitalization -- Follow-up after Hospitalization -- Financial Problems -- Improvement -- Part III: Sweden: Liberal Political Climate and Comprehensive Health Care -- 7. Swedish and US Health Care Systems Compared Miriam S. Wetzel -- The Country -- Culture and Politics -- Health Care in Sweden -- Comparisons with US Health Care -- Organization of Swedish Health Care -- A Day at Vardcentral -- Paying for Health Care in Sweden -- Taxes -- Other Tax-Supported Social Programs -- Parental benefits -- Pensions -- Sick leave -- Efforts to Control Health Care Costs -- Economic Turnaround -- Acknowledgments -- 8. Cases Written by US Students in Sweden -- Case 24: It's Lucky We Found It Rotonya McCants Carr -- Sweden and US Contrasts -- Case 25: Taking it Easy in Landskrona Aliyah Sohani -- Retirement -- Trouble Ahead -- Is it Cancer? -- Referral to a Specialist -- Diagnosis and Laser Treatment -- Wait Times But Exemplary Care.

Case 26: An Up and Down Course Peter Tang -- The Regional Hospital - Initial Visit -- Initial Response -- Back Pain -- A New Treatment -- Case 27: The Kidney is King Kavid Udompanyanan -- Something is Not Quite Right -- A Downhill Course -- Finding a Donor -- A Regimen of Drugs and Steroids -- Hitting Bottom -- A Little Progress at Last -- One More Twist of Fate -- 9. Cases Written by Swedish Students in the US -- Case 28: Learning the Hard Way Kim Gosai -- Mrs. Kline -- Mr. Montero -- Contrasts -- Case 29: Living with HIV Malin Inghammar -- Facing the News -- Hopeless and Hitting Bottom -- Turning Around -- Covering Health Expenses -- Reaching Out -- The Battle for her Son -- Keeping HIV in Check -- Living in the Real World -- Case 30: For a Better Life Ylva Andersson Carlsson -- Flavia Nazzaro -- Emergency Operation -- Diagnosis -- A Happy Event and More Troubles -- Medicaid -- Primary Care Physician -- Another Devastating Diagnosis -- More Surgery and Chemo -- Life's Everyday Difficulties -- Living with Peutz-Jeghers -- Looking to the Future -- Part IV: The United States Health Care System -- 10. The US Health Care System Miriam S. Wetzel -- US Health Insurance Basics -- US Safety-net Insurance -- Medicare -- Children's Health Insurance Program -- US Health Care Changes -- DRGs -- HMOs -- The Clinton Health Plan -- US Health Care Costs -- What Are We Getting for Our Money? -- Still Looking for Solutions: The Uninsured and Underinsured -- Who are the uninsured and why are they uninsured? -- The Underinsured -- Insurance Linked to Employment - Good or Bad? -- Making Insurance More Affordable -- Ingenuity -- Outcome Measures -- Culture, Politics, and Health -- Conclusion -- What Can the US Learn from Denmark, Germany and Sweden? -- The Key Role of Expectations -- The Importance of Primary Care -- The Economics of Health Care.

Expectations for US Health Care.