Should healthcare be profitable?

This is a topic I have been thinking about quite a bit. Being involved in the startup and now early stage investing world, I have a close relationship with growth and profits in healthcare.

A profit motive is necessary to drive innovation and efficiency, by doing so it improves clinical care. On the flip side, it can limit access to care as companies will charge the optimal price to maximize profits. 

I think both incentivizing innovation and improving access to healthcare are non-negotiables when it comes to designing a financial model for a healthcare system. To align profits and access we need to ensure life-long insurance coverage, a no deniability policy and equal access to basic healthcare.

Tiers of healthcare are inevitable in a for profit system, we need to ensure the most evidence based treatments are ubiquitous. We need a system where "basic" healthcare is accessible to all and people have the ability to pay for "bells and whistles".

Lets do deeper on access to care, in Canada (a wholly publicly  funded model) wait times are one of the longest amongst developed nations. In US, while they are substantially shorter, they are contingent on the "type" of insurance you have.

Interestingly the shortest wait times are not in the US, but in Switzerland and Germany. The Swiss model of healthcare is fascinating and one I propose makes the most sense. Why it hasn't achieved greater penetration abroad is a mystery to me right now. 

While Switzerland has universal healthcare, each resident is mandated to purchase their own health insurance. This cost is subsidized by the government when needed. People have the freedom to choose their providers and switch as they want. The whole country is "in-network".

My thoughts at this point are that this models is the most practical and efficient I have come across thusfar. 

Thanks for reading,

Rishad