France's Health Care System (3)

In 1997, a reputable consumer publication issued a list of hospitals delivering low-quality, even dangerous care. Even before this consumer awareness, there was a growing recognition that one aspect of quality problems, particularly with regard to chronic diseases and older persons, is the lack of coordination and case management services for patients. These problems are exacerbated by the anarchic character of the French health system—what might be called the darker side of health care.

The $55 000 average net annual income of French physicians—salaried hospital-based doctors as well as GPs and specialists in private practice—is barely one third that of their US counterparts ($194 000).