Does Germany have universal healthcare?

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told_wife_checking_mail

It does and I love it. I can't tell you what a relief it is not to worry about medical bills. I've never had to wait and get quality care, contrary to what many politicians say in the states.

My only complaint with the govt. is that when you are jobless, you are pretty much at their mercy. For example, you can't really turn down jobs or schools that they offer you.

On the other hand, when you ARE jobless, you are given enough money to live comfortably off of.

Redneckgirl

Ok, I'm German and I would like to know why the others here think our healthcare is free! If you're unemployed - yes, the government covers your basic healthcare while you're on unemployment money. If you're employed you HAVE TO PAY for your healthcare, however, it's taken right out of your paycheck which is called brutto-pay here in Germany. Healthcare, unemployment and retirement are taken out which leaves the money you will receive in cash transferred to your bank account once a month - called net-pay. However, if you are on self-employment eg owning a business or if you make more then a certain amount of money a year you would have to pay for healthcare through a so called private insurance. Same if you are unemployed and not on unemployment money. Then you can get insurance through a governmental insurance company. You can also read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care
http://www.nchc.org/facts/Germany.pdf

fliege52000

Yes everybody has health care in Germany. If you unemployed or retired. German government treat the people good here, but not always people happy with everything here also. I live in the US for a long time, right now I'm here in Germany for a while, and I can say here is everything much better organized.

Mimarspre

I do not agree with you redneckgirl, if you are on self-employment eg owning a business or if you make more then a certain amount of money a year you do NOT have to pay for healthcare through a so called private insurance, you can if you want to, but it is not a "must".

You can also go through the social security system as any normal employee, however when you earn more than a certain amount of money per month or you work in your own business, your monthly social security contribution will be calculated according to the so called "social security contribution ceiling" (42.750 Euro / Year or 3.562,50 EUR / month).

I do agree when you say it is not for free, of course you pay as employee, worker etc. a contribution each month, as in any normal social security system, but imho, you receive a lot for your money, as for example:

1. You do not have to look for a solution when your insurance do not pay some very expensive medicines as for example Betaferon or Tysabris for people with MS. All those cost are paid by the social security in Germany.

2. How many people in Germany must think how to get or to pay things as for example wheelchairs, lifters (I mean those lifters you use for lifting patiens from bed), no one, because you receive all this from your insurance.

3. You have free election of hospital, doctor etc.

4. In some cases (under certain conditions) you can also receive care (hospital etc.) outside Germany.

And there is more.

There are so many advantages that you receive from the social security that USA are possible to get only if you have money enough to pay a very very very good insurance o for payinf for your self.

Germany may not have the best health system in the World (Countries as for example Norway have a better one) but in is imo one of the best.

dbdoit

In regards to health care my experinces in Germany are 100 percent better than the US. When I was insured in the US I had to sort thru a maze of what is paid out of pocket, pre-existing conditions, etc. And then there was the dental 'coverage'.....
In Germany basically everybody has some form of health insurance. OK, it is not perfect, and the German/European insurance companies are just as greedy as their American counter parts in wanting to make money regardless of how sick you are. But, at least in Germany like most of Western Europe Everybody has some form of Health care.
Can that be said about the USA?
Not sure how to answer the part about how does Germany's government treat their people? If you ask some Germans they will tell you that the government treats certain foriegners better than Germans - but that is a can of worms I do not wish to open here. Most Germans will say they are treated OK by the government.

goosefraba224

I have lived in Germany for most of my life and have enjoyed free health care. I can trust the doctors because there are no great differences in Med School education throughout Germany - I have never had an incompetent doctor. Fortunately, there, the focus is on preventative medicine. In the US I found that health coverage was expensive and patients still had to match a certain percent of the bill. This, I believe, leads to people waiting until it is almost too late or too painful to see doctors for their medical problems, because they either have no insurance or can't afford the deductibles. Therefore, many life threatening diseases are caught too late.

Divine

I lived in germany before and now in SC. Germany has universal healthcare. Even if you are unemployed you will get healthcare from the government. I know someone who moved to germany because of that. Here in the US he couldn't pay the doctor-bills, so they would let him die. (He had something serious.) Usually you don't have to pay more then 10EUR for going to the doctor in germany. The healthcare take care of the bill.

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