Local plans, particularly public ones, typically cover the core of healthcare: visits to general practitioners, specialist consultations with a referral, hospital stays and surgery, emergency care, maternity care, laboratory work and imaging, and prescription medicines at least partially. Preventive care like vaccinations and screenings is usually included. Where systems diverge is the edges: dental care beyond emergencies, optical, physiotherapy, mental health, and private room upgrades are often limited or excluded, which is exactly the territory supplemental policies exist for.
Cost-sharing structures vary by country but follow recognizable patterns: a co-payment per doctor visit or prescription, a percentage of costs up to an annual ceiling, or care that's free at the point of use funded by contributions. Prescriptions commonly use a tiered reimbursement, generous for essential drugs and thinner for comfort medicines.