Having experience with both the German and Estonian health systems (which are very different from each other) I'll add one thing that seems to help lower overall cost.
In both systems, the doctors assess you and then start you with the least expensive treatment option that they believe will fix you before they move up to the more expensive treatment options.
To be clear though, they start you with the cheapest option they believe will help you, not just the cheapest option. Because it would be more expensive in the long run if they treat you with something that won't work and then have to treat you again after that.
Also to tie in is the lawsuit issue. The doctors don't have to run unnecessary tests or use expensive unnecessary procedures because they're not constantly trying to cover their ass in case of a lawsuit. I'm not certain how malpractice is handled in either country but I found this info on Germany, though it's not official.
Law and Medicine: Germany
In both systems, the doctors assess you and then start you with the least expensive treatment option that they believe will fix you before they move up to the more expensive treatment options.
To be clear though, they start you with the cheapest option they believe will help you, not just the cheapest option. Because it would be more expensive in the long run if they treat you with something that won't work and then have to treat you again after that.
Also to tie in is the lawsuit issue. The doctors don't have to run unnecessary tests or use expensive unnecessary procedures because they're not constantly trying to cover their ass in case of a lawsuit. I'm not certain how malpractice is handled in either country but I found this info on Germany, though it's not official.
Law and Medicine: Germany