在大多數國家,全民醫療衛生是透過混合型的方式來籌措經費。稅收是經費的主要來源,但在許多國家/地區中,通常會加徵特別稅捐(向個人和/或雇主收取),或由個人對超出政府系統所涵蓋的部分作支付(透過直接或附加保險)。幾乎所有歐洲體系都是經由政府支付加上個人繳費的混合方式來籌集經費。[28]大多數全民醫療衛生系統的經費主要靠稅收(英语:tax revenue)(如葡萄牙、[28]西班牙、丹麥、和瑞典)。一些國家,例如德國、法國[29] 、和日本 [30],採用一種多付款人的系統,醫療衛生由個人繳納以及政府撥款來達成。但是,許多非公有資金來自受監管的非營利組織的疾病基金,這些基金的經費則來自雇主和僱員的繳款。這種繳費是強制性,依法需要繳納。醫療衛生經費方面,也區分為城市性和全國性兩種。例如,一種模式是大部分醫療衛生成本由城市當局負擔,專科醫療衛生服務由較大型單位(例如城市合作委員會或者國家政府)提供,或者是由其負擔經費,而藥品的費用是由國家級機構來支付。來自哥倫比亞大學梅爾曼公共衛生學院(英语:Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health)的健康經濟學家 謝禮·格利德(英语:Sherry A. Glied),在她發表的一篇論文中說,全民醫療衛生體系會做溫和的所得重新分配,累進式醫療衛生經費籌措對總體貧富差距的影響有限。[31]
單一支付者醫療衛生系統,由政府,而非私人保險公司支付所有醫療衛生費用。[38] 這種系統可與私營組織(如加拿大)簽訂醫療衛生服務合同,也可擁有和僱用醫事人員(如同在採用《健康與社會護理法(英语:Health and Social Care Act 2012)》之前的英國)。因此,"單一支付者" 只說籌措經費的機制,指的是由單一政府機構,從單一基金提供經費去做的醫療衛生服務,並未指出醫療衛生服務提供的方式,或是醫生為誰工作。雖然通常是國家擁有基金,但某些形式的單一支付者使用的是公私混合的做法。
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