Germany's Unique Healthcare System (American Reacts)

In this video, we'll take a look at Germany's unique healthcare system. We'll talk about the different types of insurance that are available, the different types of hospitals and clinics, and the different benefits that are available to German citizens.

If you're planning a trip to Germany, make sure to stay up to date on the latest healthcare news! This knowledge will help you make the most of your time in Germany, and ensure that you have a smooth and worry-free experience. But Honestly at the end of the day, I'm just an American trying to learn more about and Germany and the rest of Europe.

[HerSandiness]

My Dad grew up in Texas but now lives here in Germany (My Mom was German).
In 2008, doctors discovered a tumor on his tonsils when he finally got them out. Turns out he had a non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
His out of pocket expenses for Chemo here in Germany? Zero.
Let me say that again: ZERO.

Fast forward a couple of years later. One of his sisters and her HARDCORE republican husband came here for a visit. They got to talking about the differences in the cultures and came to healthcare.
My republican uncle was adamant about how there should be no universal healthcare, because the government shouldn't tell people which doctors they should go to.
My Dad and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes ALL the way back.
We told him, that we'd like to see our government TRY to tell us which doctors to go to. That is NOT how it works.
And then my Dad said something that REALLY shut him up. He said, "If I had still been living in the US, I'd be DEAD right now."
Dear Uncle asked him what he meant, and Dad told him that he wouldn't have gotten treatment because he wouldn't have been able to afford the chemo.
My uncle said that was ridiculous, there are payment plans and credit and things.
And my Dad said, "So those are my choices in the US? Death or drowning in medical debt, probably not being able to retire at 60 and enjoy my life like I did here, and having to work it off til the day I die, and leaving my poor daughter having to pay the rest of it off?!"

We didn't hear another political peep from my uncle for the rest of his time here. My Dad's sister remarked that no one had ever been able to shut my uncle up so effectively.

[erebostd]

"The cheapest drug" means "the cheapest drug with exact the same composition the doctor ordered", like with, say aspirin. There are multiple companies making "acetylsalicylic acid", and you get one of them. If you want the brand name "aspirin" you need to pay the difference. If you just want the (controlled) medication, go with the one your insurance pays. I never ever paid for a different product. Oh, addition: If you - for any strange reason - have problems with the medication, you just tell your physician. They mark an "out idem" on your prescription, than they can chose the exact brand, and your insurance pays for it.

[Kullioking]

11:16. This is so the doctor takes his time with his patients and dont work them like a conveyor belt.

[ninaspallek]

And you only have to pay 28 days for staying in hospital per year. If you have to stay longer, it is free

[sylviarohge]

11:08 The purpose of the regulation is to prevent doctors from prescribing/performing expensive and unnecessary treatments for purely financial reasons.
The limit can of course lead to problems.
However, it also prevents the doctor from working purely on maximizing income.
The doctor must therefore decide whether an ailment needs treatment or not (and seriously, most "ailments" of people who see a doctor do not require relevant, expensive treatment).
A cold takes 7 days to heal, with medication 1 week.

[erdnuzz]

Yes, it is driving me crazy. My friends from the US were also so mad about me saying that healthcare-systems need to be better.

They didnt know much about it until we watched a information video about the differences.

They were shocked how much more service you get for free and how much you can do in GER without giving all your money and first born to the hospital as payment.

But still- our system is not as perfect as it seems. There are many problems onto the SHI

[manub.]

Statutory health insurance was introduced in Germany as early as 1883, i.e. in the days of the Kaiser.
However, some of the "building blocks" of our social insurance go back to the days of the guilds, which guaranteed their members support in various emergency situations.
One of the forerunners of the guilds was documented as early as 945.

[RickTheClipper]

Some doctors exclusively treat privately insured persons but if a doctor is ready to accept SHI patients, they have to accept each and any SHI insurance

[JohnHazelwood]

In Germany you can have - mostly already included in PHI - a "Zahnzusatzversicherung", too. It's an extra insurance for your teeth!

The main and standard dentists jobs are covered by the regular healtcare insurance, of course. But what if you need braces, an operation, teeth removing and replacement ... or just liked them professionally cleanded several times a year!?

That's when the "Zusatzversicherung" (~ "advanced insurance") comes to an advantage! No matter what's wrong with your teeth or need to be done ... you are 100% covered! This actually gets more imporant if you get older! But as early as you get the insurance, the cheaper it gets!

Of course, you pay a lot over the years ... but you are covered all the time! And life is cruel ... something can happen to your teeth all the time! :(

I just currently got some (painful) teeth-issues ... it would have cost me something like 5k+ to fix and replace it!!!
Gladly I paid only 8 (!) euros per month to my insurance - so all and everything was covered! :) *smile (with a new teeth).

[Sammychensam]

For a special stuff like a dentist appointment for just cleaning you need to wait here in Germany as well. I mostly call like 4 week in advance when i want one. But if you tell them that its more serious, that you are in pain or stuff like that all the doctors may give you the option, if you live close, that they call you when someone cancels their appointmentor or they have a "Sprechstunde" so consultation hours, mostly from like 8 to 9/10ish am, where you just can come in and sit and wait till there is a slot free. When i went i mostly waited for like 30 minutes to one and a half hours. It depends on how much were there before you and how long patients take with the doctor.

[seanbean]

SHI is fantastic. You can buy supplemental insurance for certain things, dentist or specialist care that you want like a dermatologist to do treatments etc. TK (our insurance) is probably one of the best, but compared to my insurance in the US, and getting appointments, I've never had any issues with referrals and having my son, a private room for my delivery for 4 days and genetic testing with specialist care thru the whole pregnancy cost me 350 euro... dentistry is more expensive, overall, but supplemental helps with that. I've never been denied to be seen by a practice, and the longest wait I've ever had was for a non crucial neurologist exam for my son... three weeks... I'm so thrilled with our care here in Stuttgart. My husband (German born) finds the US system insane.

[Kiyuja]

So I never really had an issue with our healthcare in Germany. You wanna get your annually dental checkup just call your dentist and they will tell you. You got an emergency or something urgent? Call them up you get an appointment next day or so. I have to visit the eye doc often due to my sickness and I usually get my appointment in 1-3 days, they usually schedule me for early in the morning where no regular people are scheduled...I believe they keep the first 60-90min after begin of the shift free intentionally for urgent cases like me...

[schnelma]

12:40 It is about the cheapest manufacturer with the *same* active ingredient. Drugs with the same active ingredient are often manufactured by different companies when patents have expired.

[uwegroote]

10€/day and a maximum of 280€/year. That means, it doesn't matter how long (over the 28 days) you are in the Hospital, you pay 280€. Another thing: On my second trip to LA (for one month) i had to pay (only) 11€ extra to my Health-Insurance. That covered everthing. How unsave i would feel, if an illness can ruine me. Excuse my bad english.

[oliver-matthiasheinrichmei]

Hey, I am a OP nurse and before that an ER nurse to understand the system is essential to say the most regulations are for planned treatments the motto is "so viel wie nötig, so wenig wie möglich" everything as nessesary, but less as possible. The Doc's are bond per duty to provide the best treatment for the patients. When it is costly, so be it. (necessity is the condition). Life before costs.

[PiratePawsLive]

Quick dentist story.
Over 10 years ago most of my teeth just snapped off. Not much pain so all good I though. Then through this my jawbone got inflamed and had abscesses in my gums and hellish pain. I went on a Sunday night to an emergency tooth clinic here and got the gums treated and painkillers until I could go to a normal dentist. Well at this point I needed a new dentist and went around and went to 3 different ones, all sent me home and told me they don't take me. Then I tried the dentist a friend of mine recommended. Great guy, and is still my dentist today.
So he checked, and said I need surgery to fix it and bridges as well as tooth caps. He called the surgeon and made an appointment for me so it goes faster. He also ordered the replacements I need which had to be created by hand.
I had to go to my Health-providers main office doctor in the region to get checked if I really needed it and If it was my fault. Turns out I got a genetic defect making my enamel weak, so I had to pay nothing.
I had general anesthetic (was knocked out), many teeth pulled (including wisdom teeth since I still had them), cut open, sewn shut again and paid nothing. Normally they would just use local anesthetic and do it while awake, but I still was very fearful of dentists since my last one kinda messed me up.
My normal dentist did the preparation work, put the replacements in. And had root canal treatments for all my teeth since I still got random pain without reason.
The whole ordeal took around 1 year in steps, since we had to wait for stuff to heal before continuing ect.
And had to pay nothing cause I didn't had a job at the time, I think I would have had to pay around 1000€ for everything If I have had work.
And the material costs alone were around 12000€.

Quick cancer story:
My younger brother was diagnosed with testicle cancer last year. He went November last year in for surgery to remove one of his testicles and started chemo in January. Soon is his 3rd chemo rotation and he has to pay nothing.
Around 1-2 Week long stays in hospital for chemo. A or so at home and then just going in for 1 more treatment and going home on the same day are his rotations.

[WarmocK]

Well, the german healthcare system saved my butt a few times now (poisoning when I was a kid, an accident at work, and I got a rabis shot after I rescued a stray kitten which unfortunately bit me because it had panicked). Definitely not gonna complain it. ^^

[nobodx]

SHI doctors only get paid for a Maximum amount of patients, if they treat more than that, they won’t get paid for the additional ones (around @11:00)
They can still treat them though

@15:00 it depends on the location.. I’m in a rural location, and a single doc here is responsible fur approx 10k patients

[schnelma]

11:30 This is to reduce unnecessary medical procedures. This cost cap is for family doctors. However, family doctors can refer patients to specialists - they do not have the limit. The patients receive the necessary medical measures, but the general practitioners have little incentive to take unnecessary measures

[schnelma]

11:54 Salary: Doctors in hospitals are employees, while doctors in private practice are self-employed. Of course, both are paid. In the case of self-employment, the payment is not called salary.