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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is there any evidence that countries with universal health care coverage have lower COVID-19 mortality rates?

By Mikayla Campbell
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NO

Data shows no clear relationship between a country's health care delivery structure and mortality from the coronavirus.

The U.S., with its mix of government and private funding of health care, has an observed mortality rate of 2%, according to Johns Hopkins data on deaths per 100 confirmed cases, as of Nov. 27, 2020. Several European countries with universal insurance programs, including the U.K., Italy, Belgium and France, have recorded higher rates, while Germany's is lower.

Much remains to be understood about factors influencing varying outcomes. An early assessment by researchers, published in May, observed that a strong national health insurance regime "does not appear to protect against mortality in a pandemic environment." With limited treatment options, outcomes have also been affected by policies calling for social distancing and limits on travel, gatherings and other activities.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Johns Hopkins: Mortality in countries most affected by COVID-19
Commonwealth Fund: How does universal health coverage work?
National Library of Medicine: COVID-19—Marked global disparities in fatalities according to geographic location and universal health care
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.