Global Health Social Work

Abstract

Summary This chapter discusses health social work in countries outside the United States, discussing clinical settings, health policies, health administration, and healthcare services. It provides comparative perspectives regarding how health social work is performed in various countries, including South Korea, Israel, and China. South Korea's universal health insurance system is internationally acclaimed to be one of the most successful health systems. Its goal “is to promote public health and social security by providing individuals with insurance benefits for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illness and injury as well as related rehabilitation, childbirth, death, and health promotion”. The National Health Insurance is a social security system in which individual citizens contribute insurance premiums to the National Health Insurance Service, an administrative organization of the insurance fund, and receive benefits when needed. The chapter also discusses professional issues and challenges related to international health social work practice.