American Reacts to German Healthcare!

Thank you so much for watching!

Where should we go next? 🌏❓

[thomasbancken]

I'm German, licensed nurse and studying medicine right now (just for context). Can't really get behind the idea, that you should be able to buy better healthcare because you make more money. There are basic human rights that should not depend on money. People who earn more are so much better of in life in so many ways, healthcare shouldn't be one of them imo. That being said, I am not too happy with the option of private healthcare in Germany even if most benefits are amenities as the guy in the video said.

[mememelane]

As a german currently being sick, I can tell you I called the doctor this morning, got an appointment, waited there for 20 minutes and got the care I needed. I recevied a prescription for antibiotics and the drugs cost me less than 5 Euro.
She also gave me a sick slip = a note that I am off work for a week. I still get my pay during that time and can rest. I told my employer I would not come in this week and done.

Now I can lie on the couch, watch YouTube and hopefully get better.

[cayreet]

It should also be noted that everyone is covered in Germany in an emergency. If you need to go to ER and you have no insurance (like a homeless person, for instance), the state will pick up the bill instead of you.

[fex]

On a personal note, I can say that as faulty as our system is, I'm damn glad I was living here in Germany when I had an accident a few years ago. I was out of my job for over a year because of that, and aside from the fact that my job was safe, I received full payment from my employer for the first six weeks, and after that my Health Insurance took over and I still got - I think - 60something % of my salary until I could go back to work . I spent a "lot" of co-pay on medication in German terms (about 250 Euro for the whole year) but that covered all medication, whether the price was 2000 or 2 Euros on the market (and probably in the States...). So for 14 months of hospital stay, physiotherapy, medication, doctor visits etc, I paid about 400 Euros. And as far as the "rich" people are concerned, they still can get regular treatments, but if they want extra care, special hospital etc. they just have to pay for it - because they can afford it.

[ksenss]

Very glad to live in Germany. Yes, there are problems in the health care system, but overall great care. My daughter had a fever cramp when she was 9 month old. Called emergency number, hat an Ambulance with a füll Team, an emergency doctor, and ( o.k., that is a Munich speciality) a childrens emergency doctor in my living room less than 5 Minuten later. 7 People, 3 vehicles. Took my daughter and me to the hospital, stayed three days (as an inflammation of the tissue around the brain was suspected, luckily not true) zero cost.

[SouthernBelle]

I lived in the US and Germany, and was always fortunate to have Insurance in both country. In the US we didn't have the greatest Insurance, but atleast we had free health Care through the Army and were able to go see military doctors.... I'm glad that I live in Germany and have german health Insurance, I have a chronic illness ( Multiple Sclerosis) any my meds cost as much as a Ferrari every 6 month, here in Germany it's no problem, cause my Insurance covers it all no questions asked, and since I have a chronical illness, I'm exempt from all Co Pays, I.e for Prescriptions, co pay for physical or occupational therapy.... In the US I wouldn't be able to afford any of it, cause the co pay alone would be sky high....

[memento]

The best two things about our German healthcare system in my opinion are the accessability and the peace of mind it gives you. If I get injured in some accident, I can just fully focus on healing. I don't have to sweat how this will put me thousands and thousands in debt. I don't have to worry about not earning money while in a hospital or in recovery and not being able to pay rent, because of paid sick leave. I don't have to worry to lose my job if I can't come in for several weeks due to severe illness or accident, because of laws protecting me. I don't have to worry about how to pay for all my mediaction, because the copays are so small. When I am getting ill and need to stay in bed for more than a week, that is a nuisance, a discomfort I will have to endure for a short while, but not a crisis that puts my financial existance on the brink of ruin. During my university years my best friend had a flat share with an American who was always so hesitant to go to the doctor, because he still had that mindset of weighing the urgency against the cost of seeing a doctor. He almost ignored symptoms of an early stage and still easy to remove cancer because of that. To this day he credits my bossy friend and our health care system for saving him from that, because he would not have spent the little money, that he had at the time, to see a doctor about it. But he needed that reminder that he can just go and see a doctor here without sweating over the financial aspects.
Sure, we pay a lot more taxes to finance this system, but it takes so much stress and dread out of your health concerns. That peace of mind is invaluable to me. The US system would feel nerve wrecking to me.

[tboi]

Hi Joel,
I am German and pretty happy with our health care system!

[hennisketches]

Yup - mental health. There‘s a little bit of a crisis right now though! We don‘t have enough therapists covered by health insurance and way too many people who need and want therapy. Therefore most therapists have a long waiting list. I have a few friends and family members who chose to pay for therapy themselves, which helps in getting a therapists sooner. However, I am BEYOND thankful to be able to have a therapy session every week for free (covered by my paid insurance, but you know what i mean by ‚free‘) 😊

[eastfrisian_]

If you lose your job, you don't lose your health insurance, I think that's very good. I lost my job unfortunately and I was missing documents for unemployment insurance and I panicked that I would have to pay the health insurance contributions myself for a month or longer. I called them, they said that would be okay and I would still be insured for up to four weeks despite the missing contributions, they would then repeat the amount from the state unemployment insurance and if the period would last longer, they would also find a way. I was totally amazed and grateful.

[JohnHazelwood]

In Germany you only need an appointment to see a specialist. If you need to see a regular doctor, you can just go to the doctor with out any appointment.
A few years ago I had a very expensive medical examination (a 3D full body MRT/CRT scan - sort of). It was so expensive that it was the first time ever (!) my health insurrance company called me to ask if I "really" had this examination and which doctor instructed me to do it. I told them and they were like: "ah! ok! fine! that's all we need to know. we'll pay it then and cover the costs for you.".

[robertbaltha]

Insurance also rewards people for living healthy. If you do sports regularly and have the paperwork to prove it, they'll pay for extra amenities. In all kinds of variations 👍

[dpr]

So here in New Zealand, because I have sever mental health issues, I don’t pay anything for my healthcare. My doctor is free, my medication is free, my bus fare is half price, my psychologist is paid by ACC. And I’m now awaiting on an operation on my lower back, which will cost me nothing for the operation nor the five days I have to spend in hospital. I’ve already had six operations in Australia and New Zealand.. I did pay for private healthcare in Australia (as I’m a kiwi) but now pay nothing for my healthcare in New Zealand.

[TheKilaby]

well i will say it like this, our healtcare system is so easy to use and friendly for the customer that i never really needed to check what im actually contracted to, my parents decided my healtcare insurance at birth and i never had to do anything, if i was sick i went to the doc gave him my card and everything else was solved on its own. No worries about money no tricky contracts.

[danielpabst]

Well, the non-profit is only partially correct.
The "gesetzliche Krankenversicherung" (statutory health insurance) is indeed non profit, but "private Krankenversicherung" (private health insurance) is provided by most large insurance companies and those are all but non profit.

[RustyDust]

German from Hamburg:
The 10€/day for hospitalization is capped at 280€/YEAR of constant or interrupted hospitalization.
The co-pay for prescription drugs is usually for a three months supply if you need it continuously. Five euros for generic drugs, 10€ for brand name drugs. However if it is a short-term treatment it is usually for the duration of said treatment, such as the flu or other such discernible illnesses.
For both glasses and dental treatment the insurance covers only the most basic reconstruction, or in case of any visual aid, the cheapest frames and lenses. Anything above and beyond the cheapest options comes out of pocket.

However, there are no network doctors you have to go to. You may choose ANY doctor anywhere in Germany for purposes of coverage.

There are however doctors who only accept privately insured patients as they can legally charge them up to three times what they can charge patients with SHI. On the other hand with well over 80% of people covered by SHI it is a question if a doctor taking on only privately insured patients isn't cutting down on their income if their region doesn't have enough privately insured people to warrant this reduction of the potential 'customers' (I hope this made sense).
Any emergency can be covered in hospitals if necessary but this may take a few hours, depending on how busy the day is and what kind of emergencies have cropped up. Most GP or specialists not in a hospital will be closed on weekends. So if your illness isn't very urgent on a weekend you might want to wait for Monday.

Do I like my healthcare system? Hell, yeah.
Is it perfect? Nope. Much less bureaucracy would be awesome. But for Germans to gripe about bureaucracy is probably genetic by now. 😂
Mental health care specialists however are overrun, so with those it may take some searching and good luck to find one still taking on patients. It often will take several weeks for an appointment in mental health.

[wolfgangengel]

German here and pretty happy with our healthcare system. Always got the treatments I needed, no matter if dental or mental or whatever. ^^ And always got them quite fast, with almost nothing or simply none extra costs for me.

[jankrusat]

Well, I had a stroke about two years ago. Fortunately it happened when I was in the company of a medically trained person, who recognised the symptoms and called for help. Within ten minutes I was inside an emergency ambulance, which additionally to the two paramedics, had a doctor on board, who started treating me inside the ambulance (which was equipped like a mobile ICU or operating room). 20 minutes later I was in the emergency room of a hospital with a stroke unit. This prompt response was probably responsible for the fact that I do not have permanent damage. They did a lot of tests with me, including MRI, CT, full blood work, doppler sonography, ECG etc., and I spent four days there.
What did it cost me? 40 Euros for the food I ate in the hospital. Now I'm earning well above average and can easily afford this. But if I had been a low income person, these fees would have been waived.

[wierg]

I just love our healthcare system. Last time I was sick I got two sick notes without even seeing the doctor. 😄The first time my doc was on vacation, so I told the nurse on the phone what I got and went there to pick-up the sick note. A week later I still was not feeling well, went there again but they had an emergency with an ambulance waiting outside. No problem at all, told the nurse what I have and got the note within 2minutes. Two weeks off fully paid and it's so easy.

[NoahHudson]

Its good that mental health is being recognised more and that services are able to provide that kind of support and counselling. We have it under the NHS too here in UK. I think the wait times can be variable but the fact it is being taken seriously can only be a good thing.