The New England journal of medicine
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China's economic policies of the past 25 years have shaped its present health-care system. China's leadership has decided to have neither a national health-insurance system nor a national health service. ⋯ Decisions to minimize imports, ban private economic activity, assign university graduates on a compulsory basis, control wages, maintain a large domestic standing army and prevent professions or universities from acquiring independent status led directly to the present system of medical care. Consequently, transplantation of China's striking achievements in health-care delivery to the United States or other countries is unlikely to occur in the absence of transfer of the underlying economic policies.