Thats why i dont understand the americans! Its not communism! I am from eastgermany ,eastberlin and i know what communism is and how it looks and feels! A healthcaresystem is so far from communism and socialism. Dont know americans the difference and are only uneducated and dumb?
Especially when you have guys like Trump running for President. His supporters probably see an affordable insurance and a 10 Euro co-pay as a handout from the Government
That is cool, but at the same if you think about it, why do we have to pay when sick (which is involuntary, nobody wants to get sick) but then childbirth is free (which is mostly voluntary)
The most important thing is.. If you lose your job you do NOT lose your health insurance! The social welfare office will pay it for you until you find a new job!
Well, first the unemployment insurance pays for the health insurance, and if you do not get a new job in 12-24 month (depending on age), the social welfare will take over and pay for the health insurance.
@@julianegner5997 i know. i just wrote it down for everyone to understand without the need to have an extensive knowledge of the complicated german welffare system and its several different agencies..
@@julianegner5997 Although this is correct, it doesn't change the fact that you'll not have to worry about having an insurance, or not, since you're gonna have one. Your whole family has one. Pretty much no matter what and without any concerns to losing it/not being able to afford it.
@@lethfuil till they talk you into opening up your own business as you are smart and blabla (remember "Ich AG") and Genossenschaft and other want money you haven't earned so far. Don't wanna know how many people are out there without any health insurance.
@@Triumph633Maybe I got lucky so far, but I didn’t find the meals that bad. Sure, they’re not gourmet restaurant meals, but obviously that’d be 4x-6x as expensive per day
It is totally fine and sometimes tasty and they give you special food too, if you can't or won't eat gluten or need vegan or veg they got you too And you can get always get yourself some food, usually their is a kitchen and you get coffee/cake
One interesting fact to add: you can do public health care + get some extras from private insurance companies. This is possible for anyone who's able and willing to afford the extra.
Thank you! I was about to mention this, too. It's very common for dental health or when you need glasses, because in the public health care there is basically no coverage for glasses.
@@zorrothebug Thanks, I did not know there is an insurance for glasses. Last time I had a job and bought non-allergic 'glasses' with Gleitsicht, multiple Entspiegelung, etc glasses it was 800€. Now jobless with Bürgergeld I do not have fitting glasses since years.
As a self-employed person in Germany, you can either stay in the public health insurance (GKV) or sign up for it if you’re just starting out. The premiums are based on your income, so you have to submit proof of income every year. That means your payments can change regularly, and you’ll often have to make back payments if you earned more than you estimated. On the flip side, if you made less, you’ll get some of the money back. Private health insurance (PKV) works differently because the premiums aren’t tied to your yearly income. That’s why a lot of self-employed folks go for it-it offers more predictable payments. You can also set up age reserves to make sure the costs stay manageable when you’re older. Just keep in mind that switching back from private to public insurance can be tricky, so it’s a decision worth thinking through.
Looking at premiums at an older age, private insurance was nothing worth thinking about. I rather pay a little more when young, and not be broke when old (read: now)
@@PotsdamSenior have seen this happen in the family and decided not to opt out of the state insurance when my income wozld have allowed me to do. Might be seen as stupid by some, because I pay about double in comparison to private insurance, but I would rather not be broke when I am old and on retirement funds. The private premiums increase a lot when you are getring older
It's not just your age that can come into play. With the GKV, your spouse and kids can all be automatically insured under the insurance without an additional charge (if they have limited income of their own). With PKV they can charge extra for every additional person based upon risk. Having a kid born with significant medical problems I dread to think how much this might have cost if we'd been privately insured...
For long time women payed about double than men in private insurance. So after being employed in non-state job while a man in my age would pay about 200€, it was about 350 for women and public insurance the max. of about 500. So after some years private would already exceed public insurance.
Also to note that public health insurance for self employed people is capped at a certain point. Over about 62k EUR before taxes per year, there's a maximum fee to pay each month of around 1200 EUR.
Some things that were missing in the video: - costs for calling an ambulance and transportation to the hospital are capped at 10€ (but you might have to pay the full costs if the ambulance was not neccessary) - all additional payments (10€ per medication, 10€ per day in hospital, 10€ per ambulance, ...) in a year combined are capped to 2% of your yearly income and is reduced to 1% if you are chronically ill - you can pay that cap in advance for the next year so you don't have to care about any individual payments for that year and if you don't hit that cap in that year you get the remaining money back
I had a medical emergency being out on the road with my bike, and someone called an ambulance to pick me up. I later got a bill sent by my health insurer and had to pay those €10. The bill also showed what the Health Insurance had to pay for the ambulance: it was 650 euros. I had to spend the night in the hospital, but could leave the next day. That one day in hospital has probably cost my insurer about 500 euros.
And although poor people get Existenzminimum, that means just given on the cent exactly what you would need to survive, some years ago when calculated (already too low and inflation not concidered) you have to pay that 2%. Plus all things not covered by public insurance like glasses, artifical teeth and special treatments at the dentist, gyn or opt.
biggest thing left out is the caps on the premiums. There is a lowest and a highest rate. Some years ago the low-end-cap was halved. Before that, small 1-man businesses sometimes had to pay almost all income to health ensurance. And the high-end-cap is not very high but somewhere around the mean income...
@@ElwoodEBlues I'm about to start a medical therapy. One syringe every two weeks, at least 10 times. One syringe costs ~1100€. Thank you to everyone for paying public health care.
It's great that we can feel thankful instead of stressed out when we hear about the costs of a specific therapy or medicine we need. Which probably helps quite a lot when you're already sick.
But the most important thing, they pay for a lot of checkups. They cover annual screenings for ovarian, breast, prostate and skin cancer (depending on patient's age and gender-phenotype). These kind of checkups pay for themselves because treating early-stage cancer is orders of magnitude cheaper than treating late-stage cancer or palliative care for terminal cancer.
Also the doctor visits itself, if you feel sick are free. This way propblems get spotted earlier and you maybe get off with a week sick leave - and not with months of recovery from some ailment you dragged along because you couldn't afford to see a specialist.
We had leukemia twice in my family. That rings up to over 1mio € in medical bills. I think over the years we've paid maybe about 2000€ in hospital bills and medication. In the US we would never recover from this, here we live a great life. Received sickness compensation the whole time. My craziest memory regarding costs was a visit to the pharmacy to pick up meds. I paid the 10€ fee and the pharmacist said "don't loose that one, we only had the most expensive option available, you're carrying 11,000€" Also funny: our kid was in hospital for a night (not leukemia, he's fine) and I was outraged when we received a bill (I think it was around 17€) for the accompanying(?) adult 😅 - hospital stay for the kid is free but the parent has to pay for the night.
its people taking up space that dont need it in the hospitals, its also for the husband when the childbirth isnt going as fast as predicted or you wanna stay during the first days after delivery with the mother and child. so yeah, you gotta pay, but its managable and way cheaper than any hotel^^ but you can also be turned away if the space isnt available
Second time I got diagnosed with a brain tumor, my parents send me to a private clinic. I was there for a week and it costed about 10,000 € with private health insurance. And that was the more expensive option, they paid a lot less for the first operation.
@@avi.chan23 Let me tell you a story about hospital parking lots and garages... Had a small surgery a few years back - and the most expensive part was me driving there myself. So having my car in their garage. ... was about 1 1/2 times the cost for the hospital stay itself*. AND AFTERWARDS - they told me a bus ticket or even a Taxi would have been provided for free. Robbery in bright daylight, I tell you! * We talk about a bill of just shy of a hundred Euros. So 95% of this complaining is meant ironic.
The big difference between the german private insurance and the american system, is that the government will still limit the prices for procedures and drugs the companies can charge, even if it's private insuarance. That's why even uninsured people (of which there theoretically shouldn't be any in germany, since having insurance is mandatory) wouldn't go bancrupt from medical bills. Regarding your question wether you have to do this if you're self employed: No. You can get statutory insurance, but if you meet the criteria, you can opt out of that and get private instead. This can make sense for self-emplyed people because - as your own employer - you'd have to pay both halfs of the statutoray payment (the employees as well as the employers part). Once you opt for private tho, you can't go back to statutory. This is to prevent people from switching back when they get older and need more treatment and taking advantage of a system they didn't pay into when they were healthy.
This is not quite true. There is a general fee schedule that has been agreed between the the health insurances and the doctors associations. But doctors can charge higher than that, and some do. And your choice can be limited. If you are a civil servant, the government will pay 50% of your health care costs like a (pretty bad) private health insurance, and you have to insure the other 50% privately. But this is not compatible with publich health insurance. They will not cover the 50% of public health insurance so if you want to stay public, you have to pay 100% (=twice) the rate.
@@MaxMustermann-nd4uy Which still might be a consideration - civil servants are paid fairly well and have a very stable and - crucially - secure place of work-
You can return to the statutory insurance, but you have to repay the premiums that you avoided needing to pay while you had your cheaper private insurance. Depending on how long you were out of the statutory system, that could mean tens of thousands of euros (you can reckon on repayment of 250 euro per month outside of the statutory insurance, or 3000 per year). Not many pensioners can afford a lump sum of 30 grand. But that’s the consequence of saving personal wealth 🤷♂️
Have I missed something or was the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (income threshold) not mentioned at all? The 7.3% and your half of the additional contribution only have to be paid up to the income threshold, currently 62,100 euros/year. For every euro you earn more, you do not pay a health insurance fee.
Yea, he didn't mention the Beitragbemessungsgrenze. considering the scope of this video (a short introduction/ overview of the topic ) I think its tolerable. It was a relatively short video that didn't mention every detail.
Wenn du über das Limit kommst, hast du die Wahl zwischen freiwillig gesetzlich versichert oder privat versichert. In Deutschland hast du eine allgemeine Versicherungspflicht. Ohne geht zwar theoretisch, aber damit kannst du dir böse ins Knie schießen.
There are two limits: The one you can chose if you want to go "gesetzlich" or "private". And the other one is the cap for maximum fee for the "gesetzliche". Even if you earn way more than the 66k per year in 2025.
@@leviathanx0815was hier nicht die Frage war du sprichst von der versicherungspflichtgrenze die hat aber nichts mit der Beitragsbemessungsgrenze zutun.
One thing the video left out: You can have public health insurance and get additional private insurance for example for hospital related things like being eligible for a single bed room, having the right to be treated and talked to by the chief physician rather than some physician and some other things. Also they cover parts of the dental treatments that are not fully covered by the public health insurance. Additional private insurance comes at a very low cost of 20-50€ depending on your age. But it's worth it sometimes.
One of the big things is dental. Public Health Care paid 100% of my root canal and my wisdom teeth extraction, but only 70% of my dental bridge. I had a co-pay of several hundred euro. It's very much based on need. I could have survived just fine missing two teeth. The other things could have escalated into life-threatening conditions.
@@haraberu cause root canal and removal of wisdom teeth is medically neccessary,a bridge isnt (according to the law) which is often total BS.. i wanted to get a wart removed.. The docter asked me if is causes any problems.. i foolishly answered no and he asked "but its itching.. RIGHT?" my yes made it medically neccessary to remove it, otherwise i wouldve had to pay for the removal myself..
I may be misstaken but it seemed to me that you missunderstood the part about companies being able to turn you away, he was talking about the private ones, and public ones cant turn you away .
In 1883, Bismarck ( German Chancellor) created the world's first social universal health system with the Health Insurance Act. This was later adopted by the USA, some Asian and numerous European countries, except of course the British. All countries, except the British with their now broken system, have adapted it to their respective social systems over the years. In the late 1950s, the United States moved away from universal health care and turned it into the system that exists in the USA today.
I'm still trying to figure out what happened in the early 80s. Up until that point all industrial nations moved pretty much in parallel in terms of healthcare expenditure and life expectancy. Exact values varied obviously, but they were all close together and moved together. But around that time something in the US changed and they now pay between 40% and 90% more and live 3-7 years less. In fact, until 1970 life expectancy was higher and healthcare cost lower than in Germany. But by 83 cost was 21% higher and life expectancy half a year lower. And with "industrial nations" I don't just mean western Europe. That also includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Canada.
What happened was overindulgence. Before, the world war generation kept statistics low with their frugality and declining health. In the 80s their baby boomers had already gained oversaturation with everything, including unregulated toxic chemicals, sugars, overeating, less exercise etc. Also, environmental issues from the coal industry and water pollution took their toll. Also, the welfare state started to be demonized and cut back as the baby boomers had less kids thanx to the pill. @@HappyBeezerStudios
We had a complicated child birth in the Netherlands. On paper the total cost is 150,000 per child, x2 because we had twin. Completely covered by insurance
Childbirth is something insurance companies would NEVER dare to decline no matter how complicated and troublesome they may be because that's a good way to lose a massive lawsuit for them i mean what the hell are they even there for if not for childbirth
I'm a nurse in the german health care system. And I think the main reason to chose private insurance is that you are treated better than the others. A hospital can make 3 times more money with people of private insurances. There are seperate wards for private insurance patients. You get better food, there are more nurses for the same amount of patients BUT you will be treated different by the doctors. They will do everything to make money with you. That's the price. But you will get medical treatment earlier than the others and you can eat salmon while being in hospital for example.
Uhm, who doesn't want to be treated good and get the most for what they're paying? Sure, the hospital or clinics will get more money for privately insured people. But they don't just charge the triple amount for nothing - private insurance covers much more then social insurance. So your health would also thank you for that. I don't think that anyone would dislike that. It's not just that the doctors are nicer. Also for the triple price: private insurance companies actually pay the clinics what they deserve and don't scam them. Fun facts: In social health insurance, clinics only get paid once a quarter per person (for the same diagnose), no matter if they just show up once or every day. They also get limited by the amount of doctors. If they reached their quota, they have to take care of more patients basically for free.
The statement that you have to wait for months for EVERYTHING health-related is pure nonsense. There are some specialists who are rare, and in these particular cases, it may be true. However, if you need to see a general practitioner, you often don't even need an appointment; you can simply go there and wait. Alternatively, you can call and ask for an appointment, which can often be scheduled for the same day or within a week at most. Especially if there is urgency in your case, nobody lets you die or endure pain. In cases of emergency, you simply call an ambulance. They even say, "Call the ambulance when in doubt; better safe than sorry" (or dead). Additionally, if you have a low income, there is a maximum amount you have to pay in fees, depending on your income level. Once you have paid a certain threshold, you can apply for an exemption with your health insurance, and by law, they cannot deny this, making it a straightforward process as well. This is on a yearly basis, so just collect the bills and hand them in to your insurance with the application and you are done with extra payments for the rest of the year. You get a card from the insurance you can show when anyone asks for extra payment. Also, there was for a while this 10€ "Selbstbeteiligung" for a while when seeing a doctor, but they removed that again because administration of that fee was more expensive then what it returned.
In my experience it's the planned check-ups that can be difficult to get an appointment for. It's not so much to do with GKV vs PKV, more just a general lack of certain specialists in some locations. For anything that might be urgent (not necessarily an emergency) the doctors tend to keep some spare slots or they find a way to slip you in.
Yeah, the only service I need to book in advance is at my optometrist, but that is more the case because of a lot of people coming for regular checkups. In fact, I've been at that very place since before I started school. On the other hand, at my dentist I got a wisdom tooth pulled at the same day that I arrived with pains, and had a root canal done through 4 consecutive appointments within about a month. And the only thing I had to pay was 10€ copayment for the pain meds.
Also, if you need urgent treatment or diagnosis, that will be handled by hospitals if there's no specialist available. That happened to my mom last year; she broke her wrist and it had to be set surgically. The GP's staff phoned all available specialists for her, and none had the time, so they sent her to the hospital. We had to wait in line for nearly 6 hours there, but it was handled the same day.
@@notsolm it is a big difference where you live. In NRW it was about a week for normal visit, here in MV a month, gyn in NRW 2 weeks, here 2 months, skin care a week in NRW, 2 years in MV, 1 month for ophthalmologist in NRW, rather a half a year in MV.
@@notsolm Yes. And let's not forget that the health insurances (the GKV) have a say in how many specialists can work in a certain area (Stichwort Kassensitze). They keep the supply low on purpose, even if there's need for more specialists. It sometimes is easier to get an appointment when you have private insurance because you can go to a doctor that doesn't have a Kassenzulassung.
5:06 - I wouldn't say "company" here, because that implies that it is depending from your employer. But instead the Zusatzbeitrag ("additional fee") is decided by the health insurance provider, which you should compare against each other.
that is exactly what he means there. When he said "varies by *company* " , he was talking about the _Krankenkasse_ (health insurance provider, which he calls health insurance *company* ), not about the employer
@@tobyk.4911 And that term is not correct, because a public health insurance provider is no company. The european courts claim that they don't have the target to make profit (keine "Gewinnerzielungsabsicht"), so they are by law no company. The best translation is the word "provider" for what they are.
@@grieveromega6060 yes, I agree, I also would not use the term "company" for them - because they are rather something like "non-profit public entity". All I'm saying is that the doctor who recorded this video - not I - is using this word when he to talks about _Krankenkassen_ , and that, for example at the timestamp that you mentioned, he means "Krankenkasse" - and not "Arbeitgeber des Versicherten" - when he says "company ".
I live in the Netherlands and worked in Germany for 6 years. I did not have to pay health insurance in the Netherlands when i worked in germany and what the man also indicated is that the employer pays a part to the health insurance. I still have the health card, but no longer need it since I work in the Netherlands again....in itself not bad, but the bureaucracy is so excruciatingly slow there. Here in the Netherlands arranged within 2 days, in Germany more than a week to weeks just to be a member. (those are my experiences) Welcome to Europe Ryan 😁
Just to add. Once you're in the public healthcare system (through a job or as a student) you may stay in there voluntarily, even if eligible for the private system. But once you elected to be in the private system you're supposed to stay in there, because you left the commity that works through solidarity. (There are ways back through being employed for a small enough salary.)
If you are on private the costs for a hospital stay could indeed cause cash flow issues. Thus hospitals often deal with the insurance company directly. You just have to sign a voucher to allow them to do so, data protection shenanigans. You then get an additional bill sometime later and much lower. And with the advent of e-recipes (prescriptions loaded onto your health insurance card instead of printed out), similar applies at the pharmacy, depending on your insurance company and rates. The main difference is that you still get the full bill and can see what they actually charge. Like an ambulance can be > 300€, of which a GKV patient would pay a flat 10. The actual prices are still a lot less than US prices, sometimes for the very same medicine just with a different label. A Pfizer insulin quickpen is 34,55€ here, 1€ copay (10 for a pack of 10), and an American colleague who uses the same told me its 137 in the US. Per pen. About 4 times as much for the very same medicine, just even in lower (half) concentration (means it doesn't last as long). Same product, same (US) company. Go figure...
When you are in the general (public) health care system in Germany (also NHS in the UK, which is, in fact, free care provided), you will end up in a shared room and bath (for two or three people) in hospital. That is different when privately insured (same in the USA; you'll basically get a hospital room to yourself), or when having an additional insurance on top of the general health care one.
You can get a insurance on top of public health care, though - if you want a single bed room. The same goes if you insist on getting operated by the chief surgeon and other benefits.
I am self employed as a guitar teacher and musician. There is a law in Germany that constitutes the "Künstlersozialkasse" ("artists social fund") and based on that a government agency that processes my health insurance and pension funds and covers half of the cost (so I pay 19% of my income for both combined). At a certain base level of income with this kind of work the law that this agency operates on protects my livelihood and it's often times fluctuating income (amongst artistic jobs like painters, actors, publishers, etc.). At the end of each year I tell them how much I income I expect to have in the coming year. I can change that prognosis any time during the year and therefore change the contribution according to my actual income.
The reason why civil servants usually have private insurance is that their employer (the state) covers half the cost of health bills so the insurance only has to cover the other half and they therefore offer pretty good rates to them, which are cheaper than the public option.
Man Ryan - pack your bags for you and your family and come to Germany. You'll like it. You've already left many of the culture shocks behind you (via video clips 🤣 ) - so integration won't be too difficult for you. Come, we're looking forward to seeing you...!
Have you heard about that doctoral thesis published in Germany long ago? "Penis-Verletzungen bei Masturbation mit Staubsaugern" (Penis injuries by masturbation wth vacuum cleaners). A German urologist wrote that paper in the late 70s and it became famous. You will find it on the net nowadays, and it once even has been read publicly in a theatre, with the images shown using an overhead projector 😂
But there is a upper limit to the amount of money you pay into the Gesetzliche Krankenkasse. And there is also a minimum payment when you’re not employed and the Arbeitsagentur isn‘t paying for different reasons. You do Private Health Insurance when your „rich“ and payments don‘t bother you because it‘s just a tiny amount of your income. But then you have access to some premium treatments you won‘t get when your in a Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung.
I can honestly say that I don't mind my fees for the Krankenkasse that's charged from my salary. I have MS and take meds twice daily that cost between 1700€ to 2700€ every 2.5 month. Those costs, as well as yearly MRTs, regular blood tests and things like that is covered nearly completely. I only have to pay 10€ when I get my meds and that's it.
I was in the hospital for 2 weeks 2 years ago. The entire stay did cost my incurance company 13.000€ i only had to pay 80€ for 8 days, Wifi was included in that price. In the 8 days the had to go "in me" 2 times and did some scaning etc.
And one important fact, the "Krankenkasse" was originally founded in 1883. In 2009 it became a Duty to have an health insurance, before that date it was obligatory if i remember correctly.
These 10€ is because you should not benefit from beeing in a hospital and they assumed that on average you eat at home for approx 10€ - Because you don't have to eat at home when in hospital they charge you the 10€
But how much do you have to pay in a year for health care???? 0€? 500€? 6000€ ?? You make much more money in the US and you dont have to pay insurance. So you can save and invest a lot more money there. That's why it's no problem for normal earners to pay for health care. Pros and cons. My Family in the US is RICH while the Families in Germany a POOR, because it´s not possible to make that much money in germany. Too many costs and they force you to have an insurance. I hate it. I get sick every 5-8 years. NEVER visit a Dr. in that time. Last time 2016. Think about it how many money i paid for NOTHING at all.
@@scrinbot Yeah, social security. Must be a horror for Americans. When even a bum can get a good healthcare because it's still a human with dignity. That's the reason we have this. The funny thing is, you could be a self centrist scumbag and the Goverment healthcare will cover you too...
@@scrinbot Germans are not poor. The Problem is how the GDP and Wealth is calculated by the Banks. Only Money a Bank makes profit is counted. Therefore the Million Dollar a US American has in his stock for Pension is counted as Wealth while the one Million a German has as his mandatory pension fund isn't because this money isn't under control of a bank account. Same with Money a US Citizen has in his Education fund, his "In case of Illness" emergency bank account etc. And how much we pay: MY German "living under the bridge poor family" Plan is absolute full coverage (no additional payment when needed except up to 280€ per year - for the whole family) is SDI me - 4555€ in 2023 - thats 380€ per month SDI my wife - 0€ because included in the 380€ Sdi my two children - 0€ because included in my SDI When my Children will go to University I allready paid the costs (via tax) so I do not need much Money for their Education at the University. By the way my gross yearly income is around 60.000€, I'm so poor that I own a "build out of Stone" single family home near a bigger town with little garden (Fully paid) and additional I still own a small Appartment (buyed when I was single many years ago and also fully paid) that is currently rented direct next to a small River with a stunning view from the balcony to the seven hills mountain range including a Castle a old Castle ruin and the former Petersberg Goverment Hotel (Where Kennedy and the Queen of England sleept when visiting Germany) a Aldi in walking distance and prepared to be wheelchair accessable.
If you are self employed you must pay the whole 14.6% instead of the 7.3% as you already guessed. If you want to be part of the public health care system. But those 14.6% are capped at ~800€. So even if you earn more money, you always pay those 800€. As self employed you will hit the maximum quite fast and it can be an issue for people who just started their business. That's the reason why some people choose a private insurance because it is way cheaper the first decades but way more expensive if you get older. It is very difficult to switch from the private insurance to the public one (self-employed person must become an employee) and from the age of 55 it is no longer possible to switch at all. So you cannot save the money as a young person and switch to the public insurance when the private one starts to get expensive.
Well, you can. If you aren't wasting money it's totally possible to FIRE at 50 or even way earlier. I mean if you are an eletrician in a low cost area, you can very easily save 50%, which is a 20 year work time if it is invested.
what he did not cover is the fact that if you can change to private because you have enough income you can choose to do so only once. If you change to private ensurance you can not go back to the general system anymore. Its that way because the general system would collapse if all the people with good money go out of it when they are young and come back when they are old. So you are stuck if you leave the general system. And if you have good income and you are young its quite expensive in comparison to the private one. I personaly have this kind of luxury problem. I dont want to leave the general system because i dont want to loose the option to be in there because i dont know how long i get the sallery i have now and what happens to the fines in private when i get older. So i pay the max fine to the general system and getting the same out of it like one who is not paying anything. Long waitings for appointments and mass processing in the hospital. I could pay the same to a private ensurance and get 5 star apointments in private areas in hospital and top doctors. But the costs when you are old are pretty hard to calculate.
It's actually possible to go back to public health care. One example would be if you stop doing your own business, get employed somewhere and earn below the threshold that allows you to choose the private system.
@@zockerdude but if you keep earning above the treshhold you can't go back? I think it is a good way of doing it. You either choose the private or collective route and stick with it. No abusing the system to what suits you best at any moment. You either take the bennefits with lower rates when you are young or you pay a bit more when you are young but bennefit from lower rates when you are old. .
I mean same, but I don't see it so negatively. I make a lot of money (relatively speaking), my rates are higher sure but it's not like it's turning "a lot of money" into "not a lot of money". I'm still financially better off than people who make less even with the higher rates, so it really is a luxury problem to have. And obviously some people will have to pay a bit more into the system, because some people will be net recipients.
Ein Verwandter von mir arbeitet in der Versicherungsbranche. 1) Man kann wieder zurück 2) Die Kosten werden definiert nach Eintrittsdatum. Sie werden nicht automatisch viel höher, wenn man älter wird. Wichtig ist, sich zu versichern, während man jung ist. Wenn man natürlich wartet, bis man 50 ist und dann erst in die Private geht, wirds teuer. 3) Wenn du mal psychologisch untersucht wurdest oder mal ne schlimmere Krankheit hattest, brauchst du erst gar nicht mehr versuchen, in die Private zu gehen. Zu teuer. Falls sie dich überhaupt nehmen. Ich bin momentan gesetzlich Pflichtversichert, würde aber jederzeit in die Private zurückgehen. Die wurde bei mir "schlafend" gelegt, sodass ich beim eventuellen Wiedereintritt keine höheren Kosten habe. D.h. keine erneute Krankheitenabfrage etc. die mich ausschließen könnte. Was die Private alles abdeckt, ist einfach so viel besser als in der Gesetzlichen. Deswegen habe ich mich zumindest noch privat zusatzversichert.
There definitely are ways to get back into the GKV system, but it's not intended to be easy. Personally I like the option of being in the GKV system, but having top-up insurances for things like private rooms and Chefarztbehandlung. One example of getting back into the GKV system (from experience): if you're married to someone in the GKV system and you end up in a position where you have no income of your own for a couple of months, you can become "Familienversichert" and re-enter the GKV system.
As a self-employee you can stay in the GKV (I don't know how to write the word for the opposite of the private health insurance). When you are an artist, you get up to 50% reduction. And for the PKV (private) you can lower your taxes with the cost for healthcare. It's a "little" bit complicated, it's the beauty of German berocracy
If you are self employed and not rich as f*ck there is an organisation called the Künstlersozialkasse (the "artists social register"). You register there and pay them a monthly amount of money depending on what you esteem your income to be in the next year, and they take on the role of your employer, which means they pay the health and retirement insurance half that usually an employer pays for. It has originally been created for artists, but they take on many self employed people with small incomes like small organic farmers, sex workers and so on.
I am self-employed + private insured. The major difference between them is that you get every much quicker. It happened to me just like that. Went to my doctor because my knee hurted. Friday morning. He couldn't figure out what it was so he sent me to Magnetic resonance imaging. Called them and explained the situation. Answer: Ohhhh.... I'm so sorry we don't have any time the next 3 month. What is your Insurane? - Axa Do you have time on Tuesday?
Do not compare $ and € with exchange rate. Wages are much lower in Germany. You once said that a nurse in the usa earns up to $140000 a year gross. In Germany it's only around €44,000. These are just roughly googled figures that are only intended to show the order of magnitude.
11.50 no, you don’t have to be in the private insurance if you are self-employed or rich. You can be in the „ordinary“ state health insurance. But most people prefer the private insurance because you can sometimes get fancier hospital rooms or faster appointments or better doctors
mathildewesendonck7225 That`s a myth. In Germany you don`t get fancier hospital rooms or faster appointmens or better doctors. By law it is even forbidden. Same treatment for all, be it the homeless or the millionare.
woa, you nailed it. Your try to say gesetzlicher Zusatzbeitrag was literally and i mean literally, the worst try of anybody trying to pronounce any word of another language i ever heart in my life xd really. that was impressive^^
In austria you can have an additional insurance to the normal statutory insurance. You can then, for example, choose the (chief) doctor who will operate on you, get a single or a maximum of two-bed room and if you do NOT use the additional services, you will get the money reimbursed by the additional insurance (paid in cash!)
8:11: I was in the hospital for 4 months years ago. Don't remember paying anything. First 6 weeks I got full wage compensation by my employer, and after that some percentage of my wage (60 or 80%, don't remember, it's been a while), paid by my health insurence.
You got it right: The self-employed here in Germany can indeed choose between private and statutory health insurance. Also, any German can opt to remain in the public health insurance, even if they become eligible for private insurance. When young, choosing private health insurance can seem very tempting indeed. However, an important aspect to consider is that once a German citizen switches from statutory to private insurance, the switch in the reverse direction is closed to them, unless they get hired by a different employer (or give up self-employment) first. This limitation was put in place to make abusing the system by hopping back and forth depending on one's age and the related monthly premium payments difficult.
In Sweden, the pharmacy has to offer you the cheapest medicine of the one your picking up. Also in Sweden we have a cap for each year, around $120/year, if you reach that cap, medcines are free.
The thing with taking ages to get appointments is really bad especially with specialised medics or e.g. when you need an MRT or something similar, and it's even worse if you don't live in a big city. Like I had thrown out my back and could barely sit or stand straight and the orthopedic told me they have a free appointment in 4 weeks and I should go to my regular doctor if it's that bad. When I had a rash, the skin specialist told me "we have something in two months". I went to my regular doctor (the one who deals with everything) and she was pissed, told me all the specialists send their patients to her and she can't do much most of the time because she doesn't have the specialization. I have a skin appointment I booked in June scheduled in March next year - that's the dimensions we're speaking of here. A huge problem is also that the two parallel systems create a kind of "two-class" insurance system where those in private insurance get appointments quickly while the rest has to wait for ages. Doctors are also keen to sell procedures to the privately insured because they can charge them more.
The private option can be quite expensive, but if you earn above the eligibility threshold, it might still be cheaper than the GKV option or at least be roughly similar and offer better coverage. Plus, there are typically ways to reduce that cost. E.g. I have an insurance where I will have to pay the first 1200€/year of walk-in costs myself (not hospital, or dental, those are completely covered). In return for that, my premiums are MORE than that sum cheaper as if I hadn't that option. Now a typical doctors appointment is ~50€ to 200€ (OB GYN is expensive). But in the last 15 years, I've only managed to crack the deductible when I was pregnant doing monthly checkups. So I save twice: the option with the deductible is per se cheaper and even more so, if I stay below the deductible. PLUS (and this is really huge): if I do not ask for any compensation in a year, at my insurance, I get three months premium back at the end of the year ("Beitragsrückerstattung" = premium re-embursement). And on top of that, premiums for the private health insurance are tax-deductible, which offers further ways to reduce the actual cost. But navigating all these different options, playing them through, and finding the optimum solution is a big challenge. My husband and I have spend several weeks brooding over the fine print of the different options, before we hit the optimum. To make a long story short: on paper, the private option may sound ridiculously expensive and be only for people who do not know what to do with their money, but depending on the individual case, the difference may not be so large.
One aspect that is extremely important and cannot be overstated: You MUST have health insurance in Germany 100% of the time you are living here - and the different governing bodies of the several public healthcare options (called "Krankenkassen") are really on your ass to make sure that you do not go a single day without insurance. When I switched from public to private health insurance at the start of being self-employed, my then current Krankenkasse made sure twice over that I would have a new insurance immediately once my public insurance with them had ended. The letters they sent me were worded to really emphasize the urgency of the matter.
This is very interesting. I'm trying to compare the prices to the prices here in Finland. The prices here are initially a bit higher, but I wonder if it amounts to the same after all the bureaucracy? I'm rounding the numbers here because they are a bit different in different parts of the country and may change every year, but: -One day in hospital initially costs about 45 euros. After a person's total health care costs for the year exceed about 600 euros, it drops down to about 25 euros. -Psychiatric care in hospital is initially 25 euros and drops down to zero after the 600 euro cap. -All long term care is calculated differently, I won't go into that because this is confusing as it is. The "total health care costs for the year" also includes stuff like prescription medication. The state covers 40%-60% so that people don't need to pay it in the first place, but if their total was over 600, they can apply to get refunds in the beginning of the next year (lots of paperwork). But the thing is, if someone really doesn't have any income, the state will end up paying all of this anyways. It just sort of becomes part of that whole thing that the state pays to cover a person's monthly minimum costs of living, which then includes rent and food and whatever. So that it isn't necessarily seen as a health care cost anymore.
You will only pay the 5-10€ copay for prescriptions in germany. And there's a cap, which requires some buerocracy to use though. Over the counter medications are on you though. You can claim some tax money back if your total hc costs exceed 1% of your gross.
There's a downside in this GKV/PKV-thing: In GKV (public health care) the fees for doctors and hospitals are mostly fixed. For PKV the doctors and hospitals will get higher rates. So the first question, when trying to get an appointment by the doctor is "Are your private insured?". If you are, you will get an appointmeht within days, if not you will wait for weeks to get an appointment. There is also a problem with hospitals (especially in rural regions) to cover their costs. For this reason, they often carry out operations that might not be necessary, but which generate higher flat rates compared to the effort involved. This is called "Fallpauschale" which means a fixed rate for a case. In these rural areas we have problems that a lot of hospitals have closed, because they didn't have the marges their owners want to see. Then, in some cases, the government had to step in and give them money, so the hospital keeps open. This problem with hospitals is currently being addressed by our Minister of Health. The solution is to go away from "Fallpauschale" to give the hospitals money, just for being available to the public. You might also have wondered, why older people not switch from PKV to GKV when the PKV gets to expensive for them. There is a rule that you can't switch back if you have switched to PKV anytime. This is for preventing the public from people that save money during their healthy years and then want to get their costs covered by the public when they get sick and the PKV-fees will get higher. There are some special rules to switch back, i. e. you were self-employed and then get to a normal job you can get back to GKV, if you are younger than 55 years. Or you were in public service and then swich to the private sector. Because of the "Beitragsbemessungsgrenze" the maximum fee for GKV is capped. Currently it is at ~400 EUR/month. For this you get an insurance for all your basic needs for you and your family. Everything else (like covering costs for glasses, getting a better dental prosthesis then the basic one, etc.) is something you should be able to cover by yourself without getting into trouble. But there are options to even get an insurance for this for a small extra fee. This is something some employers offer their employees as an extra. And with this insurance there is not much difference between PKV and GKV left.
As far as I know, even then you can be volutarily choose a "gesetzliche" insurance. Noboby, has to go to the "evil" side ... But once you've been there, it is very hard to go back. So you are not just less social to others but also to your future self.
yes, self-employed people have to pay the entire amount (employer's + employee's percentage). They can choose to stay in the statutory system or go for the private system - but once you are in the private insurance you can't get back into the statutory system unless you choose to become an employee again.
The basic healthcaresystem is paid only from working class. About 20 % of your income. (small nursing care included). Teeth only very very basic treatment for old people, people who are unemployed and migrants get treatment from this workingclassmoney also, plus childbirth (no illness)
As a self employed you can also go with the regular health care system. However, you'll have to pay the full 14,5% plus Zusatzbeitrag. When you're just starting out with your company, that's sometimes cost prohibited.
Well, the whole "50% is covered by your employer" is just a scam, anyway. It's not like there's an open roof in the accounting where money rains in. Employers calculate with the total costs, not just the framed costs.
Ryan, very simple: in Europe you don't have to worry about bills in case you end up in a hospital. The rest, is well complex since there is a mix of public and private Healthcare system.
This year for the 2nd time I had a proton therapy which cost my insurance 29.000 €. As I rode there 30 times they also payed me 1.600 € for driving expenses. If I hadn't been able to drive myself they would have payed for a taxi, but in that case I would have had to pay 600 € myself. That would have been about 10% of the taxi cost. I could also have gone for a 3 weeks additional recovery treatment anywhere in Germany, but I didn't want it this time. 4 years ago I had this treatment in blackwood forest, 300 miles from my place. For that I payed 10 € a day. I'm a 69 year old pensionist.
To the private insurance: Yeah - they don't have to take you, the public option is generally the only path for you if that is the case. I am disabled, there is simply no private insurance that would take me no matter how much I make. Which sucks because you have simply more options if you have a private insurance (for example, dermatologists are very rare to find for public insurance, you generally have to carry the costs yourself for a lot of treatments in that case. That said, the fees are not that insane.)
8:18 These co-payments are also capped at 2% of the gross family income per calendar year. And for chronically ill people, it's just 1%. If you've paid more, you can apply to your health insurance company to have the excess reimbursed.
my insurance pays me money when i am in hospital, and i am insured for accidents off work also by my employer. ripped a ligament in the knee and was alone in a room and meals where like prawns with risotto and stuff. in germany you can chose normal health insurance and pay yourself for extra updates, so no need for private stuff. only thing about private healthcare is that you get appointments much earlier
I've seen lots of complaints online about appointments in Germany. I live in the US and getting an appointment with my GP takes a month and some specialists can take two months. If I need to be seen sooner I end up at urgent care. Everything in the US has a copay, co insurance and or deductible to meet first.
Private insurance prices rise with the age of entry, it won’t rise any further just by aging once you’re in. Obviously it will rise with inflation. The new risk assessment makes a later swap of or change into private insurance usually unviable. It can stay fairly cheap if you make the decision early and stay with your company.
I worked as a qualified nurse in two Catholic German hospitals and a Protestent Old People's home [1991-95] and didn't like it at all! When I was on nights, I was on my own with 35+ patients! They [unlike in the UK] are all in rooms of 1-5 beds and one cannot see into them, so had to keep going round to ensure everyone was alive/not fallen etc. Was also lucky to get help to turn patients as it would mean the other ward having no-one there at all for 20 minutes etc. Also the 'doctors' had too much sway on the wards [unlike here in the UK] and they even did the dressings [which we do in the UK]. Was glad to go back to England! lol
Understaffing of hospitals and nursing homes has been a problem for many years in Germany. Bad shift plans and high workloads are the result. You will find articles about that in German media every other week.
about Private Healthcare, normally this means you get appointments much faster and better rooms in Hospital stays. And i am pretty sure that the bills you get are never that ridiculously high as they are in the US even with private healthcare. So while it is closer to the US system it is not as expensive in regards to treatments and medication.
self employed are also able to get into a statutory health insurance. However, it is more expensive since you need to cover more % which usually your employer covers
There is an upper cap of income to that 14,6% (+x,x% that your own insurance company can want on top of the government base rate), so you only pay those percentages up to an maximum annual income of currently 62100€, if you make any more than that, you still don't have to pay any more for your health care insurance than some that makes exactly that amount.
You have 30+days to pay the bills for your private medical fees. That is usualy enough time to send it in and get the payment from the insurance to handle it. Officers / state officers are kunda forced into private as they have to pay double for the regular one (the state doesnt cover the 50% - essentially making them self employed) Yet the state helps with any bill and will cover 50% of your bill if you are privately insured - therefore you can sign cheaper tier insurances that cover only 50% of your bills - as the other 50% is covered by the state. Additionaly: I pay below 100/month for Private as trainee during my university education. For the "regular" id pay 300-400/month.
One big difference is that doctors can choose not to accept those with statutory health insurance. Privately insured people bring them more money. Thats why if you're privately insured, you get way better service at the doctor. Quick appointments and better treatments (or let's say: treatments without the "did you try drinking more water?" for months beforehand). That's why people choose Private insurance. But yeah, it also costs more in the long run and the paying up front can be a big problem for some. I know people who have Private insurance and almost all of them wish they didn't choose it. And now its difficult to get back in the statutory. They can refuse you because you are already insured.
One thing completely different between German private insurance and US private insurance is that normally the treatment still is paid 100%, while in the US often you have e.g. 20% paid from your own pocket (which taken the insanely high costs you incur in the US can cripple you fast). That is pretty much impossible in Germany. I moved to North Carolina for a year, I remember asking my company if they could get me an insurance that covers just 100% of all costs like they do in Europe (so no out of pocket pay), they literally just laughed at me xD
Yes, if you are self-employed you can choose to stay in the public healthcare-system, but the downside is: there is no employer who will pay the other half of the bill for you. So you will have to pay the full 14,6% of your gross income on your own, instead of only 7,3%, which can make public insurance much more expensive than a private insurance contract, depending on your gross income. As a public servant you are usually having a private healthinsurance, but it covers only 50% (in some cases 30%) of the doctor's bill and other expenses, which means your monthly price for the insurance is much lower than for other people in the private insurance. The rest of the doctors bill will be covered by the public employer you are working for and is called "Beihilfe" (=aid). That means you get the bill from your doctor, pay it and have to send the bill to both, your health insurance company and your "Beihilfestelle" to get your money back, which in case of the Beihilfe-part can take up to 4 till 6 weeks. In the private healthcare you get many benefits compared to the public healthcare, as doctors can make much more money out of you if you have a private insurance you get a better service which starts in getting appointments much sooner and may end in a more convenient waiting room and better therapies.
It doesn't cost too much, but so many doctors are overburdened. I called six specialists over several months now and none of them took new patients. Not even waiting lists.
The big advantage of private insurance is, that they usually pay a higher rate to the doctor / the doctor bills the private insurance companies higher, so you get faster appointments and private insurance also might cover things that the public doesn't. So you probably get better care. It's a huge criticism point of this "2 class" care system. I've also heard people who really want a checkup or a timely appointment for a non-critical issue (that still bothers people like backpain) to just pay for it directly (to higher prices than the public insurance covers). Despite having public insurance. There's doctor offices that only take private and self-paying patients since there is also a limit on how many doctors the insurances give the "license" to treat publicly insured people and bill the public insurance. Especially for therapists for mental issues, there's a ton of criticism that they don't approve of enough seats and waiting on therapy appointments paid by public insurance can take months to years, depending. And then imagine if the first therapist you see doesn't fit you. My dad as a public servant is privately insured and his dermatologist once said to him that without the boni from privatly insured patients (and probably also people who pay themselves) he wouldn't be able to cover the cost of the doctor office after 2/3 of the month. So there's a lot of issues in the system. But overall I'm very very happy that we have it. It could be worse. (But it could also be a lot better)
An addition: self employed people in germany can join the GKV (public health insurance) on a voluntary basis. Regular employees have to stay in it if their regular gross income is below the "incurance obligation limit for health insurance", calculated and published twice a year, as of 7/2024 at 69,300 € p.a. If their regular income is higher they can opt to leave the public system and sign a private insurance. The problem is, they can only switch back if their income drops back below that limit permanently and if they are not older than 55 years of age. some people come close to retirement and dont observe this, and then they have to pay much more for their health insurance. The reason is: when in retirement, the retirement pensions are considerably lower than their former income, and a public healthcare premium is only calculated on that lower level, while the premiums of private health insurances are not related to the income but only to the insured risks (although they have to offer a reduced tarif for retirees).
Not all medicine is covered by insurance, so sometimes you have to pay the full price. But a years supply of Insulin will cost you, depending on your demand, less than 100€
Just to give another example. I need to take medicine against high blood pressure. My doctor prescribed two different medicines. One is free (don't know why) and one is not (don't know why) which means I have to pay around 20 EUR per year on my own.
@@hansmeiser32 I got Blopress (tm) forseveral years and only a part was payed by the insurance. When patent was gone the first "No Name" generica (same stuff but not in the golden and fancy package) where available and like a miracle a 3 month package of the original costs 80€ instead the former 170€ and because the pharmacy will inform you that there is even a cheaper version from a different company (and they can ignore the trade mark brand as long as the other medication is a generica and you accept the switch) that is 100% covered - I now only need to pay the default 5€. Maybe the reason why one is expencive the other not.
@@hansmeiser32It may be free because the medical company has a deal with your insurance. You can see the changes in deals when they switch you to a different brand every once in a while, or you don't need to pay the 5€ sometimes if the regular price or the deal brings the price below a certain threshold.
As a civil servant you usually have private insurance because the government pays for 50-80% of your healthcare, so you have to insure only the other 20-50% of possible payments.
I’m self employed and paying for public healthcare. Since I’m paying the maximum fee and have to pay the employers and employee part it’s about 1000,- Euro per month as well.
Because many people believe in this and since the Krankenkassen are half-privatized, they have to try to get as many people as possible. And also, one of the few things where you can rightfully diss the Greens, this party is also an epicentre of homeopathic believers. Though I thought that thing has finally been cancelled starting next year??
A friend of mine - employed in a veeeeerrrry high position in a local communal company - once declared, he would never ever out of statutory health insurance to private health insurance, despite he could. Because he knew of a person very ill person with private health insurance who couldn't afford paying bills and fell down below the level of statutory h.e. in the end... However, with additionally health insurance he managed to get on a level of private level, of course. But he said to me, if he would ever can't afford the additional any more, he won't fall down to the ground through all nets...
In Austria the private insurance isn´t not that high. You have your state insurance + private, when you want p.e. a single room in the hospital or a special doctor like the chief physician. But nobody had to die because he hadn´t money.
Let’s update the info in simple terms : average income of lower middle class households is about 3100€ brutto. That means with average tax level it will be about 2100€ netto with taxing #1 (system of 5 tax options). So now it’s almost December and that means, sometimes on average 200€ (holiday) more on brutto, which means 3300€, or 2300 € salary netto. Netto means, that which you get after all the tax money deducted. - 280€ (monthly medical tax off) - 310€ (monthly pension insurance) - 43€ (monthly unemployment insurance) -57€ (monthly nursing care insurance contributions) - that just the medical part of it. …and so on. On average it is about 1000€ off your monthly brutto salary , depending on your taxes option. If you earn lower than a lowest middle class income, probably about 1500€, your taxes will be deducted accordingly. But it is still about the third of your brutto monthly salary. I know, on that video it sounds everything so nice and somehow more appealing, but it does have its own cruxes. It does have a potential to improve the whole system. But yeah, it is still better than the system in US.
The thing about the statutory health insurance system is that the companies are very, very heavily regulated by the government. They basically double as government agencies. It's a deal: The government doesn't have to do everything directly (like in Britain), and in turn the insurance companies get a certain, but limited profit. But they are, as I said, heavily regulated and they have to accept everyone, without any conditions. The deal for the patients is this: You are effectively forced to be part of the system, but in turn you get any treatment that is medically necessary (with some exceptions). You have a rare cancer? Hemophilia (costs up to 6 million Euros per year)? No problem, you are covered, guaranteed by law. Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. are also heavily regulated, especially the prices of products and treatments. Unlike in the US, where they can basically do what they want.
We also have the Unfallversicherung (accident insurance) completely paid by the employer every accident that happens when you are working and on the way to work or on the way home from work falls under this insurance. There are some rules for what is and isn't insured but that's to much detail for me to write at the moment. 😂
If you are self employed in Germany you can take voluntary public healthcare. They grade your monthly contributions based on your projected annual income.
Here in the Netherlands is a statutory system for 2024, it's 110 / month per person => 18 years. up to 18 healthcare is free. People can buy additional care like Extra Dentist care, Alternative medicine, etc. The first 385 are out of pocket. Pre-existing condition is no problem
You are free to come to Germany (at least for 90 days). And if you work here, you are insured and your family as well. But that is the case in most countries in the EU. If you are self employed you can also become a freely statutory insured person. The calculation of the fee is a bit complicated, but if you do it, you have the same protection for you and your family. Most advantage on public healthcare is, you pay as long as you get a wage. When you become unemployed or become an pensioner, you get no wage and don't have to pay, but you are still insured.
7:25 also if you cant find your card or shit...ask the doctor for their email, call your healthcare, tell em to send a confirmation to the doctor and that works as well in an emergency
I can tell you: I got Cancer treatment a couple of years ago. The whole healing process (hospital + chemotherapy) was about 500 € (which roughly translates to $500). That's it. From start to finish. I don't even want to know what the US would have had in store for me.
I recently destroyed my kneecap while being dumb at home. I had to go to 3 doctors to the xray then to MRI then to therapy for half a year to get everything working again. Now im walking perfectly again knee feels a little weird sometimes but no pain and i paid about 48€ for the therapy (basic transaction fee its not even for the therapy itself) everything else was completely covered by the monthly insurance payments. So going to the hospital or any medical facility is nothing special and wont change your financial situation at all.
But the Americans argue that they are free and can buy weapons, that is of course Much more important then a functioning Health insurance that everyone can afford. 🤣👍🏻🤭
Long wait times is highly overblown BS. You can have long wait times for non urgent appointments. That's because they leave slots for emergencies in the schedule. I had a few emergencies in recent years and i got appointments within a few hours.
Yes I hear this argument so so often. They forget that they pay hundreds of dollars more for their insurance. If you want to shorten the wait time from 3 months to 3 days, all you gotta do is tell them you pay out of pocket for the appointment. Mostly it will be under 100 bucks which is still cheaper than their co pay or deductible or whatever fees they need to pay for a doctor visit on top of their already expensive insurance. I go relatively often to a doctor and my insurance documents show that I never had an appointment that was over 100 bucks.
You don't have to take private healthcare if you're self-employed, but if you opt for the public healthcare system instead (which is called "freiwillig gesetzlich krankenversichert" - "voluntarily statutory health insured"), you'll pay the full premium on your total gross income (including income e.g. from rent or financial assets) up to currently about 845 Euro per month. In some cases some private healthcare options may seem to be cheaper, as long as you enter the private system at a relatively young age (and e.g. use the option of reimbursement of one monthly premium for years in which you did not use your health insurance at all). The problem will be to switch later back to the statutory healthcare system (because it will in most cases only be possible if you are not any longer self-employed and earn less than about 62,100 Euro per year in this job).
![American reacts BRUTAL German Memes [#70]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rdcbgKcLrA4/mqdefault.jpg)
Every American seeing this: "oh thats great. why don't we have that here"
Americans when a government tries to implement such a system: "COMMUNISM"
Thats why i dont understand the americans! Its not communism! I am from eastgermany ,eastberlin and i know what communism is and how it looks and feels! A healthcaresystem is so far from communism and socialism. Dont know americans the difference and are only uneducated and dumb?
THE WOKE COMMUNISTS ARE STEALING THEIR FREEDOMMMMM 🦅🦅🦅
Especially when you have guys like Trump running for President. His supporters probably see an affordable insurance and a 10 Euro co-pay as a handout from the Government
Socialism is evil!
I mean, _those_ people start frothing at the mouth at the mention of "Obamacare" while loving the benefits of the "Affordable Care Act".
If a woman has to stay in hospital during childbirth, the €10 per day fee does not apply because pregnancy is not an illness.
haha yes. you basicly get money from the ensurance for that time to compensate the time at and after childbirth. Its called Mutterschaftsgeld.
@@Tyantreides dont forget Elternzeit
We had the family room for three days. Which cost over 100€ for the total stay.
@@Bubblesirupand You do consider this a lot, or a little???
That is cool, but at the same if you think about it, why do we have to pay when sick (which is involuntary, nobody wants to get sick) but then childbirth is free (which is mostly voluntary)
The most important thing is..
If you lose your job you do NOT lose your health insurance!
The social welfare office will pay it for you until you find a new job!
Well, first the unemployment insurance pays for the health insurance, and if you do not get a new job in 12-24 month (depending on age), the social welfare will take over and pay for the health insurance.
@@julianegner5997 i know. i just wrote it down for everyone to understand without the need to have an extensive knowledge of the complicated german welffare system and its several different agencies..
@@julianegner5997 Although this is correct, it doesn't change the fact that you'll not have to worry about having an insurance, or not, since you're gonna have one. Your whole family has one. Pretty much no matter what and without any concerns to losing it/not being able to afford it.
@@julianegner5997 The age is not as relevant as how long you worked in your last job. That decides as to how long you get unemployment insurance.
@@lethfuil till they talk you into opening up your own business as you are smart and blabla (remember "Ich AG") and Genossenschaft and other want money you haven't earned so far. Don't wanna know how many people are out there without any health insurance.
The 10 €/day at the hospital are to cover your meals.
The meals are piss poor tho... literally the worst...
@@Triumph633I Had to be in German Hospitals for some time...and I am a good Cook.....the food was OK!!!
@@Triumph633Maybe I got lucky so far, but I didn’t find the meals that bad.
Sure, they’re not gourmet restaurant meals, but obviously that’d be 4x-6x as expensive per day
It is totally fine and sometimes tasty and they give you special food too, if you can't or won't eat gluten or need vegan or veg they got you too
And you can get always get yourself some food, usually their is a kitchen and you get coffee/cake
They are the standardized as far as I know
One interesting fact to add: you can do public health care + get some extras from private insurance companies. This is possible for anyone who's able and willing to afford the extra.
Thank you! I was about to mention this, too. It's very common for dental health or when you need glasses, because in the public health care there is basically no coverage for glasses.
@@zorrothebug Thanks, I did not know there is an insurance for glasses. Last time I had a job and bought non-allergic 'glasses' with Gleitsicht, multiple Entspiegelung, etc glasses it was 800€. Now jobless with Bürgergeld I do not have fitting glasses since years.
@@MiaMerkur always made me angry..
Glasses are an absolute necessity and arent covered but BS like homeopathy often is
@@mats7492 100%, drives me crazy! I need my glasses to be able to drive or to read but I do not need any scumbag homeopathy.
@@mats7492 Homeopathy makes money from water and sugar
Glasses require you to actually pay someone to do good work lol
Love how he totally nailed the pronunciation of "Lohnnebenkosten" 💙
I appreciated how he tried to say Uro in the German way and though it‘s pretty difficult for English speakers he managed it pretty well.😊👍
100% 😄
As a self-employed person in Germany, you can either stay in the public health insurance (GKV) or sign up for it if you’re just starting out. The premiums are based on your income, so you have to submit proof of income every year. That means your payments can change regularly, and you’ll often have to make back payments if you earned more than you estimated. On the flip side, if you made less, you’ll get some of the money back.
Private health insurance (PKV) works differently because the premiums aren’t tied to your yearly income. That’s why a lot of self-employed folks go for it-it offers more predictable payments. You can also set up age reserves to make sure the costs stay manageable when you’re older. Just keep in mind that switching back from private to public insurance can be tricky, so it’s a decision worth thinking through.
Looking at premiums at an older age, private insurance was nothing worth thinking about. I rather pay a little more when young, and not be broke when old (read: now)
@@PotsdamSenior have seen this happen in the family and decided not to opt out of the state insurance when my income wozld have allowed me to do. Might be seen as stupid by some, because I pay about double in comparison to private insurance, but I would rather not be broke when I am old and on retirement funds. The private premiums increase a lot when you are getring older
It's not just your age that can come into play. With the GKV, your spouse and kids can all be automatically insured under the insurance without an additional charge (if they have limited income of their own). With PKV they can charge extra for every additional person based upon risk.
Having a kid born with significant medical problems I dread to think how much this might have cost if we'd been privately insured...
For long time women payed about double than men in private insurance. So after being employed in non-state job while a man in my age would pay about 200€, it was about 350 for women and public insurance the max. of about 500. So after some years private would already exceed public insurance.
Also to note that public health insurance for self employed people is capped at a certain point. Over about 62k EUR before taxes per year, there's a maximum fee to pay each month of around 1200 EUR.
Some things that were missing in the video:
- costs for calling an ambulance and transportation to the hospital are capped at 10€ (but you might have to pay the full costs if the ambulance was not neccessary)
- all additional payments (10€ per medication, 10€ per day in hospital, 10€ per ambulance, ...) in a year combined are capped to 2% of your yearly income and is reduced to 1% if you are chronically ill
- you can pay that cap in advance for the next year so you don't have to care about any individual payments for that year and if you don't hit that cap in that year you get the remaining money back
I had a medical emergency being out on the road with my bike, and someone called an ambulance to pick me up. I later got a bill sent by my health insurer and had to pay those €10. The bill also showed what the Health Insurance had to pay for the ambulance: it was 650 euros. I had to spend the night in the hospital, but could leave the next day. That one day in hospital has probably cost my insurer about 500 euros.
And although poor people get Existenzminimum, that means just given on the cent exactly what you would need to survive, some years ago when calculated (already too low and inflation not concidered) you have to pay that 2%. Plus all things not covered by public insurance like glasses, artifical teeth and special treatments at the dentist, gyn or opt.
biggest thing left out is the caps on the premiums. There is a lowest and a highest rate.
Some years ago the low-end-cap was halved. Before that, small 1-man businesses sometimes had to pay almost all income to health ensurance.
And the high-end-cap is not very high but somewhere around the mean income...
@@ElwoodEBlues I'm about to start a medical therapy. One syringe every two weeks, at least 10 times. One syringe costs ~1100€.
Thank you to everyone for paying public health care.
It's great that we can feel thankful instead of stressed out when we hear about the costs of a specific therapy or medicine we need. Which probably helps quite a lot when you're already sick.
But the most important thing, they pay for a lot of checkups. They cover annual screenings for ovarian, breast, prostate and skin cancer (depending on patient's age and gender-phenotype). These kind of checkups pay for themselves because treating early-stage cancer is orders of magnitude cheaper than treating late-stage cancer or palliative care for terminal cancer.
Also the doctor visits itself, if you feel sick are free. This way propblems get spotted earlier and you maybe get off with a week sick leave - and not with months of recovery from some ailment you dragged along because you couldn't afford to see a specialist.
We had leukemia twice in my family. That rings up to over 1mio € in medical bills. I think over the years we've paid maybe about 2000€ in hospital bills and medication. In the US we would never recover from this, here we live a great life. Received sickness compensation the whole time. My craziest memory regarding costs was a visit to the pharmacy to pick up meds. I paid the 10€ fee and the pharmacist said "don't loose that one, we only had the most expensive option available, you're carrying 11,000€"
Also funny: our kid was in hospital for a night (not leukemia, he's fine) and I was outraged when we received a bill (I think it was around 17€) for the accompanying(?) adult 😅 - hospital stay for the kid is free but the parent has to pay for the night.
how dare they charge you with 17€ for that??? aren´t they just greedy in Germany?🤣
its people taking up space that dont need it in the hospitals, its also for the husband when the childbirth isnt going as fast as predicted or you wanna stay during the first days after delivery with the mother and child. so yeah, you gotta pay, but its managable and way cheaper than any hotel^^ but you can also be turned away if the space isnt available
I have narcolepsy and my medication alone would cost me around 60k€ annually. I'm lucky to live in Germany in that regard
Second time I got diagnosed with a brain tumor, my parents send me to a private clinic. I was there for a week and it costed about 10,000 € with private health insurance. And that was the more expensive option, they paid a lot less for the first operation.
@@avi.chan23 Let me tell you a story about hospital parking lots and garages...
Had a small surgery a few years back - and the most expensive part was me driving there myself. So having my car in their garage. ... was about 1 1/2 times the cost for the hospital stay itself*.
AND AFTERWARDS - they told me a bus ticket or even a Taxi would have been provided for free. Robbery in bright daylight, I tell you!
* We talk about a bill of just shy of a hundred Euros. So 95% of this complaining is meant ironic.
The big difference between the german private insurance and the american system, is that the government will still limit the prices for procedures and drugs the companies can charge, even if it's private insuarance. That's why even uninsured people (of which there theoretically shouldn't be any in germany, since having insurance is mandatory) wouldn't go bancrupt from medical bills.
Regarding your question wether you have to do this if you're self employed: No. You can get statutory insurance, but if you meet the criteria, you can opt out of that and get private instead. This can make sense for self-emplyed people because - as your own employer - you'd have to pay both halfs of the statutoray payment (the employees as well as the employers part). Once you opt for private tho, you can't go back to statutory. This is to prevent people from switching back when they get older and need more treatment and taking advantage of a system they didn't pay into when they were healthy.
This is not quite true. There is a general fee schedule that has been agreed between the the health insurances and the doctors associations. But doctors can charge higher than that, and some do.
And your choice can be limited. If you are a civil servant, the government will pay 50% of your health care costs like a (pretty bad) private health insurance, and you have to insure the other 50% privately. But this is not compatible with publich health insurance. They will not cover the 50% of public health insurance so if you want to stay public, you have to pay 100% (=twice) the rate.
Very important info indeed.
@@MaxMustermann-nd4uy Which still might be a consideration - civil servants are paid fairly well and have a very stable and - crucially - secure place of work-
You can return to the statutory insurance, but you have to repay the premiums that you avoided needing to pay while you had your cheaper private insurance. Depending on how long you were out of the statutory system, that could mean tens of thousands of euros (you can reckon on repayment of 250 euro per month outside of the statutory insurance, or 3000 per year). Not many pensioners can afford a lump sum of 30 grand. But that’s the consequence of saving personal wealth 🤷♂️
Have I missed something or was the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (income threshold) not mentioned at all?
The 7.3% and your half of the additional contribution only have to be paid up to the income threshold, currently 62,100 euros/year. For every euro you earn more, you do not pay a health insurance fee.
No, it was not explitly mentioned. Only as the "from here on you are eligible for private insurance" threshold.
Yea, he didn't mention the Beitragbemessungsgrenze. considering the scope of this video (a short introduction/ overview of the topic ) I think its tolerable. It was a relatively short video that didn't mention every detail.
Wenn du über das Limit kommst, hast du die Wahl zwischen freiwillig gesetzlich versichert oder privat versichert. In Deutschland hast du eine allgemeine Versicherungspflicht. Ohne geht zwar theoretisch, aber damit kannst du dir böse ins Knie schießen.
There are two limits:
The one you can chose if you want to go "gesetzlich" or "private".
And the other one is the cap for maximum fee for the "gesetzliche". Even if you earn way more than the 66k per year in 2025.
@@leviathanx0815was hier nicht die Frage war du sprichst von der versicherungspflichtgrenze die hat aber nichts mit der Beitragsbemessungsgrenze zutun.
One thing the video left out:
You can have public health insurance and get additional private insurance for example for hospital related things like being eligible for a single bed room, having the right to be treated and talked to by the chief physician rather than some physician and some other things. Also they cover parts of the dental treatments that are not fully covered by the public health insurance. Additional private insurance comes at a very low cost of 20-50€ depending on your age. But it's worth it sometimes.
One of the big things is dental. Public Health Care paid 100% of my root canal and my wisdom teeth extraction, but only 70% of my dental bridge. I had a co-pay of several hundred euro. It's very much based on need. I could have survived just fine missing two teeth. The other things could have escalated into life-threatening conditions.
@@haraberu cause root canal and removal of wisdom teeth is medically neccessary,a bridge isnt (according to the law) which is often total BS..
i wanted to get a wart removed..
The docter asked me if is causes any problems..
i foolishly answered no and he asked "but its itching.. RIGHT?"
my yes made it medically neccessary to remove it, otherwise i wouldve had to pay for the removal myself..
I may be misstaken but it seemed to me that you missunderstood the part about companies being able to turn you away, he was talking about the private ones, and public ones cant turn you away .
I believe he understood.
Correct.
In 1883, Bismarck ( German Chancellor) created the world's first social universal health system with the Health Insurance Act. This was later adopted by the USA, some Asian and numerous European countries, except of course the British. All countries, except the British with their now broken system, have adapted it to their respective social systems over the years. In the late 1950s, the United States moved away from universal health care and turned it into the system that exists in the USA today.
The only reason, that he introduced that system, was so that the people had no reason to vote for the socialists back then.
I'm still trying to figure out what happened in the early 80s.
Up until that point all industrial nations moved pretty much in parallel in terms of healthcare expenditure and life expectancy. Exact values varied obviously, but they were all close together and moved together.
But around that time something in the US changed and they now pay between 40% and 90% more and live 3-7 years less.
In fact, until 1970 life expectancy was higher and healthcare cost lower than in Germany. But by 83 cost was 21% higher and life expectancy half a year lower.
And with "industrial nations" I don't just mean western Europe. That also includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Canada.
@@HappyBeezerStudios Ronald "Wild gun" Reagan happend.
What happened was overindulgence. Before, the world war generation kept statistics low with their frugality and declining health. In the 80s their baby boomers had already gained oversaturation with everything, including unregulated toxic chemicals, sugars, overeating, less exercise etc. Also, environmental issues from the coal industry and water pollution took their toll. Also, the welfare state started to be demonized and cut back as the baby boomers had less kids thanx to the pill. @@HappyBeezerStudios
@@HappyBeezerStudios Ronald Ray-gun happened.
We had a complicated child birth in the Netherlands. On paper the total cost is 150,000 per child, x2 because we had twin. Completely covered by insurance
Childbirth is something insurance companies would NEVER dare to decline no matter how complicated and troublesome they may be because that's a good way to lose a massive lawsuit for them i mean what the hell are they even there for if not for childbirth
How to blow an american mind in two words. proportional taxation.
Why? They also have that.
@@toxiccc777 It's just a joke about the more money you make in America the less tax you pay.
I'm a nurse in the german health care system. And I think the main reason to chose private insurance is that you are treated better than the others. A hospital can make 3 times more money with people of private insurances. There are seperate wards for private insurance patients. You get better food, there are more nurses for the same amount of patients BUT you will be treated different by the doctors. They will do everything to make money with you. That's the price. But you will get medical treatment earlier than the others and you can eat salmon while being in hospital for example.
It can have the draw-back, that you receive unnecessary treatment and the hospital tries to keep you longer. At least that was my experience.
Uhm, who doesn't want to be treated good and get the most for what they're paying?
Sure, the hospital or clinics will get more money for privately insured people. But they don't just charge the triple amount for nothing - private insurance covers much more then social insurance. So your health would also thank you for that. I don't think that anyone would dislike that. It's not just that the doctors are nicer.
Also for the triple price: private insurance companies actually pay the clinics what they deserve and don't scam them.
Fun facts: In social health insurance, clinics only get paid once a quarter per person (for the same diagnose), no matter if they just show up once or every day. They also get limited by the amount of doctors. If they reached their quota, they have to take care of more patients basically for free.
The statement that you have to wait for months for EVERYTHING health-related is pure nonsense. There are some specialists who are rare, and in these particular cases, it may be true. However, if you need to see a general practitioner, you often don't even need an appointment; you can simply go there and wait. Alternatively, you can call and ask for an appointment, which can often be scheduled for the same day or within a week at most. Especially if there is urgency in your case, nobody lets you die or endure pain. In cases of emergency, you simply call an ambulance. They even say, "Call the ambulance when in doubt; better safe than sorry" (or dead).
Additionally, if you have a low income, there is a maximum amount you have to pay in fees, depending on your income level. Once you have paid a certain threshold, you can apply for an exemption with your health insurance, and by law, they cannot deny this, making it a straightforward process as well. This is on a yearly basis, so just collect the bills and hand them in to your insurance with the application and you are done with extra payments for the rest of the year. You get a card from the insurance you can show when anyone asks for extra payment.
Also, there was for a while this 10€ "Selbstbeteiligung" for a while when seeing a doctor, but they removed that again because administration of that fee was more expensive then what it returned.
In my experience it's the planned check-ups that can be difficult to get an appointment for. It's not so much to do with GKV vs PKV, more just a general lack of certain specialists in some locations.
For anything that might be urgent (not necessarily an emergency) the doctors tend to keep some spare slots or they find a way to slip you in.
Yeah, the only service I need to book in advance is at my optometrist, but that is more the case because of a lot of people coming for regular checkups. In fact, I've been at that very place since before I started school.
On the other hand, at my dentist I got a wisdom tooth pulled at the same day that I arrived with pains, and had a root canal done through 4 consecutive appointments within about a month. And the only thing I had to pay was 10€ copayment for the pain meds.
Also, if you need urgent treatment or diagnosis, that will be handled by hospitals if there's no specialist available. That happened to my mom last year; she broke her wrist and it had to be set surgically. The GP's staff phoned all available specialists for her, and none had the time, so they sent her to the hospital. We had to wait in line for nearly 6 hours there, but it was handled the same day.
@@notsolm it is a big difference where you live. In NRW it was about a week for normal visit, here in MV a month, gyn in NRW 2 weeks, here 2 months, skin care a week in NRW, 2 years in MV, 1 month for ophthalmologist in NRW, rather a half a year in MV.
@@notsolm Yes. And let's not forget that the health insurances (the GKV) have a say in how many specialists can work in a certain area (Stichwort Kassensitze). They keep the supply low on purpose, even if there's need for more specialists. It sometimes is easier to get an appointment when you have private insurance because you can go to a doctor that doesn't have a Kassenzulassung.
5:06 - I wouldn't say "company" here, because that implies that it is depending from your employer. But instead the Zusatzbeitrag ("additional fee") is decided by the health insurance provider, which you should compare against each other.
that is exactly what he means there. When he said "varies by *company* " , he was talking about the _Krankenkasse_ (health insurance provider, which he calls health insurance *company* ), not about the employer
@@tobyk.4911 And that term is not correct, because a public health insurance provider is no company.
The european courts claim that they don't have the target to make profit (keine "Gewinnerzielungsabsicht"), so they are by law no company. The best translation is the word "provider" for what they are.
@@grieveromega6060 yes, I agree, I also would not use the term "company" for them - because they are rather something like "non-profit public entity". All I'm saying is that the doctor who recorded this video - not I - is using this word when he to talks about _Krankenkassen_ , and that, for example at the timestamp that you mentioned, he means "Krankenkasse" - and not "Arbeitgeber des Versicherten" - when he says "company ".
@@tobyk.4911 Then we are talking about the same thing and agree.
@@grieveromega6060i woud name them public heath agentcies or insritutions but you are right.
I live in the Netherlands and worked in Germany for 6 years. I did not have to pay health insurance in the Netherlands when i worked in germany and what the man also indicated is that the employer pays a part to the health insurance. I still have the health card, but no longer need it since I work in the Netherlands again....in itself not bad, but the bureaucracy is so excruciatingly slow there. Here in the Netherlands arranged within 2 days, in Germany more than a week to weeks just to be a member. (those are my experiences)
Welcome to Europe Ryan 😁
Agreed. The beuracracy is too much in Germany.
Just to add. Once you're in the public healthcare system (through a job or as a student) you may stay in there voluntarily, even if eligible for the private system. But once you elected to be in the private system you're supposed to stay in there, because you left the commity that works through solidarity. (There are ways back through being employed for a small enough salary.)
If you are on private the costs for a hospital stay could indeed cause cash flow issues. Thus hospitals often deal with the insurance company directly. You just have to sign a voucher to allow them to do so, data protection shenanigans. You then get an additional bill sometime later and much lower. And with the advent of e-recipes (prescriptions loaded onto your health insurance card instead of printed out), similar applies at the pharmacy, depending on your insurance company and rates. The main difference is that you still get the full bill and can see what they actually charge. Like an ambulance can be > 300€, of which a GKV patient would pay a flat 10. The actual prices are still a lot less than US prices, sometimes for the very same medicine just with a different label. A Pfizer insulin quickpen is 34,55€ here, 1€ copay (10 for a pack of 10), and an American colleague who uses the same told me its 137 in the US. Per pen. About 4 times as much for the very same medicine, just even in lower (half) concentration (means it doesn't last as long). Same product, same (US) company. Go figure...
When you are in the general (public) health care system in Germany (also NHS in the UK, which is, in fact, free care provided), you will end up in a shared room and bath (for two or three people) in hospital. That is different when privately insured (same in the USA; you'll basically get a hospital room to yourself), or when having an additional insurance on top of the general health care one.
You can get a insurance on top of public health care, though - if you want a single bed room. The same goes if you insist on getting operated by the chief surgeon and other benefits.
I am self employed as a guitar teacher and musician. There is a law in Germany that constitutes the "Künstlersozialkasse" ("artists social fund") and based on that a government agency that processes my health insurance and pension funds and covers half of the cost (so I pay 19% of my income for both combined). At a certain base level of income with this kind of work the law that this agency operates on protects my livelihood and it's often times fluctuating income (amongst artistic jobs like painters, actors, publishers, etc.). At the end of each year I tell them how much I income I expect to have in the coming year. I can change that prognosis any time during the year and therefore change the contribution according to my actual income.
private instead of not on top but yes you can add additional extensions like tooth insurance or stuff like that
The reason why civil servants usually have private insurance is that their employer (the state) covers half the cost of health bills so the insurance only has to cover the other half and they therefore offer pretty good rates to them, which are cheaper than the public option.
Man Ryan - pack your bags for you and your family and come to Germany. You'll like it. You've already left many of the culture shocks behind you (via video clips 🤣 ) - so integration won't be too difficult for you.
Come, we're looking forward to seeing you...!
🍆 Urologists with humor! I like that! 🤣
Have you heard about that doctoral thesis published in Germany long ago? "Penis-Verletzungen bei Masturbation mit Staubsaugern" (Penis injuries by masturbation wth vacuum cleaners).
A German urologist wrote that paper in the late 70s and it became famous. You will find it on the net nowadays, and it once even has been read publicly in a theatre, with the images shown using an overhead projector 😂
@@ElwoodEBlues
That‘s sounds hilarious, though my thoughts go out to that poor penises. Gosh, horny people do stupid things sometimes…🙄
@@ElwoodEBlues
It was written at Munich University.
I think TUM.
The decease is called: Morbus Kobold
But there is a upper limit to the amount of money you pay into the Gesetzliche Krankenkasse. And there is also a minimum payment when you’re not employed and the Arbeitsagentur isn‘t paying for different reasons.
You do Private Health Insurance when your „rich“ and payments don‘t bother you because it‘s just a tiny amount of your income. But then you have access to some premium treatments you won‘t get when your in a Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung.
Right, when I lost my good payed job, I payed about 500€, the max, and then should pay 250€ the month, the min., before I get money from Arbeitsamt.
I can honestly say that I don't mind my fees for the Krankenkasse that's charged from my salary. I have MS and take meds twice daily that cost between 1700€ to 2700€ every 2.5 month. Those costs, as well as yearly MRTs, regular blood tests and things like that is covered nearly completely. I only have to pay 10€ when I get my meds and that's it.
I was in the hospital for 2 weeks 2 years ago. The entire stay did cost my incurance company 13.000€ i only had to pay 80€ for 8 days, Wifi was included in that price. In the 8 days the had to go "in me" 2 times and did some scaning etc.
And one important fact, the "Krankenkasse" was originally founded in 1883. In 2009 it became a Duty to have an health insurance, before that date it was obligatory if i remember correctly.
10 Euros at the hospital per day:
Germans: That's so much! I don't want to pay that!
Americans: THAT'S IT!?
🤣
These 10€ is because you should not benefit from beeing in a hospital and they assumed that on average you eat at home for approx 10€ - Because you don't have to eat at home when in hospital they charge you the 10€
@@dirkspatz3692 Krankenhaustagegeldversicherung ;)
But how much do you have to pay in a year for health care???? 0€? 500€? 6000€ ?? You make much more money in the US and you dont have to pay insurance. So you can save and invest a lot more money there. That's why it's no problem for normal earners to pay for health care. Pros and cons. My Family in the US is RICH while the Families in Germany a POOR, because it´s not possible to make that much money in germany. Too many costs and they force you to have an insurance. I hate it. I get sick every 5-8 years. NEVER visit a Dr. in that time. Last time 2016. Think about it how many money i paid for NOTHING at all.
@@scrinbot Yeah, social security. Must be a horror for Americans. When even a bum can get a good healthcare because it's still a human with dignity. That's the reason we have this. The funny thing is, you could be a self centrist scumbag and the Goverment healthcare will cover you too...
@@scrinbot Germans are not poor.
The Problem is how the GDP and Wealth is calculated by the Banks. Only Money a Bank makes profit is counted.
Therefore the Million Dollar a US American has in his stock for Pension is counted as Wealth while the one Million a German has as his mandatory pension fund isn't because this money isn't under control of a bank account. Same with Money a US Citizen has in his Education fund, his "In case of Illness" emergency bank account etc.
And how much we pay: MY German "living under the bridge poor family" Plan is absolute full coverage (no additional payment when needed except up to 280€ per year - for the whole family) is
SDI me - 4555€ in 2023 - thats 380€ per month
SDI my wife - 0€ because included in the 380€
Sdi my two children - 0€ because included in my SDI
When my Children will go to University I allready paid the costs (via tax) so I do not need much Money for their Education at the University.
By the way my gross yearly income is around 60.000€, I'm so poor that I own a "build out of Stone" single family home near a bigger town with little garden (Fully paid) and additional I still own a small Appartment (buyed when I was single many years ago and also fully paid) that is currently rented direct next to a small River with a stunning view from the balcony to the seven hills mountain range including a Castle a old Castle ruin and the former Petersberg Goverment Hotel (Where Kennedy and the Queen of England sleept when visiting Germany) a Aldi in walking distance and prepared to be wheelchair accessable.
If you use an app to find a doctor, even a specialist, you usually can get an appointment within 1 or 2 days.
If you are self employed you must pay the whole 14.6% instead of the 7.3% as you already guessed. If you want to be part of the public health care system.
But those 14.6% are capped at ~800€. So even if you earn more money, you always pay those 800€.
As self employed you will hit the maximum quite fast and it can be an issue for people who just started their business.
That's the reason why some people choose a private insurance because it is way cheaper the first decades but way more expensive if you get older. It is very difficult to switch from the private insurance to the public one (self-employed person must become an employee) and from the age of 55 it is no longer possible to switch at all. So you cannot save the money as a young person and switch to the public insurance when the private one starts to get expensive.
Well, you can. If you aren't wasting money it's totally possible to FIRE at 50 or even way earlier.
I mean if you are an eletrician in a low cost area, you can very easily save 50%, which is a 20 year work time if it is invested.
No. You can pay way more than 800 if you're rich. I have a friends who pays 1300€ per month, but has a lange business.
what he did not cover is the fact that if you can change to private because you have enough income you can choose to do so only once. If you change to private ensurance you can not go back to the general system anymore.
Its that way because the general system would collapse if all the people with good money go out of it when they are young and come back when they are old.
So you are stuck if you leave the general system. And if you have good income and you are young its quite expensive in comparison to the private one.
I personaly have this kind of luxury problem. I dont want to leave the general system because i dont want to loose the option to be in there because i dont know how long i get the sallery i have now and what happens to the fines in private when i get older.
So i pay the max fine to the general system and getting the same out of it like one who is not paying anything. Long waitings for appointments and mass processing in the hospital.
I could pay the same to a private ensurance and get 5 star apointments in private areas in hospital and top doctors. But the costs when you are old are pretty hard to calculate.
It's actually possible to go back to public health care. One example would be if you stop doing your own business, get employed somewhere and earn below the threshold that allows you to choose the private system.
@@zockerdude but if you keep earning above the treshhold you can't go back?
I think it is a good way of doing it. You either choose the private or collective route and stick with it. No abusing the system to what suits you best at any moment.
You either take the bennefits with lower rates when you are young or you pay a bit more when you are young but bennefit from lower rates when you are old.
.
I mean same, but I don't see it so negatively. I make a lot of money (relatively speaking), my rates are higher sure but it's not like it's turning "a lot of money" into "not a lot of money". I'm still financially better off than people who make less even with the higher rates, so it really is a luxury problem to have. And obviously some people will have to pay a bit more into the system, because some people will be net recipients.
Ein Verwandter von mir arbeitet in der Versicherungsbranche.
1) Man kann wieder zurück
2) Die Kosten werden definiert nach Eintrittsdatum. Sie werden nicht automatisch viel höher, wenn man älter wird. Wichtig ist, sich zu versichern, während man jung ist. Wenn man natürlich wartet, bis man 50 ist und dann erst in die Private geht, wirds teuer.
3) Wenn du mal psychologisch untersucht wurdest oder mal ne schlimmere Krankheit hattest, brauchst du erst gar nicht mehr versuchen, in die Private zu gehen. Zu teuer. Falls sie dich überhaupt nehmen.
Ich bin momentan gesetzlich Pflichtversichert, würde aber jederzeit in die Private zurückgehen. Die wurde bei mir "schlafend" gelegt, sodass ich beim eventuellen Wiedereintritt keine höheren Kosten habe. D.h. keine erneute Krankheitenabfrage etc. die mich ausschließen könnte.
Was die Private alles abdeckt, ist einfach so viel besser als in der Gesetzlichen. Deswegen habe ich mich zumindest noch privat zusatzversichert.
There definitely are ways to get back into the GKV system, but it's not intended to be easy. Personally I like the option of being in the GKV system, but having top-up insurances for things like private rooms and Chefarztbehandlung.
One example of getting back into the GKV system (from experience): if you're married to someone in the GKV system and you end up in a position where you have no income of your own for a couple of months, you can become "Familienversichert" and re-enter the GKV system.
Now you understand why Europeans laugh at American health care and can‘t comprehend sooo many being against a model more built like the European….
As a self-employee you can stay in the GKV (I don't know how to write the word for the opposite of the private health insurance).
When you are an artist, you get up to 50% reduction. And for the PKV (private) you can lower your taxes with the cost for healthcare.
It's a "little" bit complicated, it's the beauty of German berocracy
If you are self employed and not rich as f*ck there is an organisation called the Künstlersozialkasse (the "artists social register"). You register there and pay them a monthly amount of money depending on what you esteem your income to be in the next year, and they take on the role of your employer, which means they pay the health and retirement insurance half that usually an employer pays for. It has originally been created for artists, but they take on many self employed people with small incomes like small organic farmers, sex workers and so on.
I am self-employed + private insured. The major difference between them is that you get every much quicker. It happened to me just like that.
Went to my doctor because my knee hurted. Friday morning. He couldn't figure out what it was so he sent me to Magnetic resonance imaging. Called them and explained the situation. Answer: Ohhhh.... I'm so sorry we don't have any time the next 3 month. What is your Insurane?
- Axa
Do you have time on Tuesday?
Do not compare $ and € with exchange rate. Wages are much lower in Germany.
You once said that a nurse in the usa earns up to $140000 a year gross.
In Germany it's only around €44,000.
These are just roughly googled figures that are only intended to show the order of magnitude.
11.50 no, you don’t have to be in the private insurance if you are self-employed or rich. You can be in the „ordinary“ state health insurance. But most people prefer the private insurance because you can sometimes get fancier hospital rooms or faster appointments or better doctors
mathildewesendonck7225 That`s a myth. In Germany you don`t get fancier hospital rooms or faster appointmens or better doctors. By law it is even forbidden. Same treatment for all, be it the homeless or the millionare.
woa, you nailed it. Your try to say gesetzlicher Zusatzbeitrag was literally and i mean literally, the worst try of anybody trying to pronounce any word of another language i ever heart in my life xd really. that was impressive^^
I liked the part that sounded like Liquor. But the word is a tongue twister, that´s for sure.
In austria you can have an additional insurance to the normal statutory insurance. You can then, for example, choose the (chief) doctor who will operate on you, get a single or a maximum of two-bed room and if you do NOT use the additional services, you will get the money reimbursed by the additional insurance (paid in cash!)
8:11: I was in the hospital for 4 months years ago. Don't remember paying anything. First 6 weeks I got full wage compensation by my employer, and after that some percentage of my wage (60 or 80%, don't remember, it's been a while), paid by my health insurence.
You got it right: The self-employed here in Germany can indeed choose between private and statutory health insurance. Also, any German can opt to remain in the public health insurance, even if they become eligible for private insurance.
When young, choosing private health insurance can seem very tempting indeed. However, an important aspect to consider is that once a German citizen switches from statutory to private insurance, the switch in the reverse direction is closed to them, unless they get hired by a different employer (or give up self-employment) first. This limitation was put in place to make abusing the system by hopping back and forth depending on one's age and the related monthly premium payments difficult.
In Sweden, the pharmacy has to offer you the cheapest medicine of the one your picking up.
Also in Sweden we have a cap for each year, around $120/year, if you reach that cap, medcines are free.
The thing with taking ages to get appointments is really bad especially with specialised medics or e.g. when you need an MRT or something similar, and it's even worse if you don't live in a big city.
Like I had thrown out my back and could barely sit or stand straight and the orthopedic told me they have a free appointment in 4 weeks and I should go to my regular doctor if it's that bad. When I had a rash, the skin specialist told me "we have something in two months". I went to my regular doctor (the one who deals with everything) and she was pissed, told me all the specialists send their patients to her and she can't do much most of the time because she doesn't have the specialization.
I have a skin appointment I booked in June scheduled in March next year - that's the dimensions we're speaking of here.
A huge problem is also that the two parallel systems create a kind of "two-class" insurance system where those in private insurance get appointments quickly while the rest has to wait for ages. Doctors are also keen to sell procedures to the privately insured because they can charge them more.
The private option can be quite expensive, but if you earn above the eligibility threshold, it might still be cheaper than the GKV option or at least be roughly similar and offer better coverage. Plus, there are typically ways to reduce that cost. E.g. I have an insurance where I will have to pay the first 1200€/year of walk-in costs myself (not hospital, or dental, those are completely covered). In return for that, my premiums are MORE than that sum cheaper as if I hadn't that option. Now a typical doctors appointment is ~50€ to 200€ (OB GYN is expensive). But in the last 15 years, I've only managed to crack the deductible when I was pregnant doing monthly checkups. So I save twice: the option with the deductible is per se cheaper and even more so, if I stay below the deductible. PLUS (and this is really huge): if I do not ask for any compensation in a year, at my insurance, I get three months premium back at the end of the year ("Beitragsrückerstattung" = premium re-embursement). And on top of that, premiums for the private health insurance are tax-deductible, which offers further ways to reduce the actual cost.
But navigating all these different options, playing them through, and finding the optimum solution is a big challenge. My husband and I have spend several weeks brooding over the fine print of the different options, before we hit the optimum.
To make a long story short: on paper, the private option may sound ridiculously expensive and be only for people who do not know what to do with their money, but depending on the individual case, the difference may not be so large.
One aspect that is extremely important and cannot be overstated: You MUST have health insurance in Germany 100% of the time you are living here - and the different governing bodies of the several public healthcare options (called "Krankenkassen") are really on your ass to make sure that you do not go a single day without insurance. When I switched from public to private health insurance at the start of being self-employed, my then current Krankenkasse made sure twice over that I would have a new insurance immediately once my public insurance with them had ended. The letters they sent me were worded to really emphasize the urgency of the matter.
This is very interesting. I'm trying to compare the prices to the prices here in Finland. The prices here are initially a bit higher, but I wonder if it amounts to the same after all the bureaucracy?
I'm rounding the numbers here because they are a bit different in different parts of the country and may change every year, but:
-One day in hospital initially costs about 45 euros. After a person's total health care costs for the year exceed about 600 euros, it drops down to about 25 euros.
-Psychiatric care in hospital is initially 25 euros and drops down to zero after the 600 euro cap.
-All long term care is calculated differently, I won't go into that because this is confusing as it is.
The "total health care costs for the year" also includes stuff like prescription medication. The state covers 40%-60% so that people don't need to pay it in the first place, but if their total was over 600, they can apply to get refunds in the beginning of the next year (lots of paperwork).
But the thing is, if someone really doesn't have any income, the state will end up paying all of this anyways. It just sort of becomes part of that whole thing that the state pays to cover a person's monthly minimum costs of living, which then includes rent and food and whatever. So that it isn't necessarily seen as a health care cost anymore.
You will only pay the 5-10€ copay for prescriptions in germany. And there's a cap, which requires some buerocracy to use though. Over the counter medications are on you though. You can claim some tax money back if your total hc costs exceed 1% of your gross.
There's a downside in this GKV/PKV-thing: In GKV (public health care) the fees for doctors and hospitals are mostly fixed. For PKV the doctors and hospitals will get higher rates. So the first question, when trying to get an appointment by the doctor is "Are your private insured?". If you are, you will get an appointmeht within days, if not you will wait for weeks to get an appointment.
There is also a problem with hospitals (especially in rural regions) to cover their costs. For this reason, they often carry out operations that might not be necessary, but which generate higher flat rates compared to the effort involved. This is called "Fallpauschale" which means a fixed rate for a case.
In these rural areas we have problems that a lot of hospitals have closed, because they didn't have the marges their owners want to see. Then, in some cases, the government had to step in and give them money, so the hospital keeps open.
This problem with hospitals is currently being addressed by our Minister of Health. The solution is to go away from "Fallpauschale" to give the hospitals money, just for being available to the public.
You might also have wondered, why older people not switch from PKV to GKV when the PKV gets to expensive for them. There is a rule that you can't switch back if you have switched to PKV anytime. This is for preventing the public from people that save money during their healthy years and then want to get their costs covered by the public when they get sick and the PKV-fees will get higher.
There are some special rules to switch back, i. e. you were self-employed and then get to a normal job you can get back to GKV, if you are younger than 55 years. Or you were in public service and then swich to the private sector.
Because of the "Beitragsbemessungsgrenze" the maximum fee for GKV is capped. Currently it is at ~400 EUR/month. For this you get an insurance for all your basic needs for you and your family. Everything else (like covering costs for glasses, getting a better dental prosthesis then the basic one, etc.) is something you should be able to cover by yourself without getting into trouble. But there are options to even get an insurance for this for a small extra fee.
This is something some employers offer their employees as an extra. And with this insurance there is not much difference between PKV and GKV left.
The percentage sounds pretty high, but well worth it on the long run, I can tell you as a mother in het 50's
11:49 you don't have to do this if you're self employed, if you earn less than those 69k € per year.
As far as I know, even then you can be volutarily choose a "gesetzliche" insurance. Noboby, has to go to the "evil" side ... But once you've been there, it is very hard to go back. So you are not just less social to others but also to your future self.
yes, self-employed people have to pay the entire amount (employer's + employee's percentage). They can choose to stay in the statutory system or go for the private system - but once you are in the private insurance you can't get back into the statutory system unless you choose to become an employee again.
Obama-carte should be a right way to create an similiar affordable system in US, too. A miracle the people don't want to get that way.
The basic healthcaresystem is paid only from working class. About 20 % of your income. (small nursing care included). Teeth only very very basic treatment for old people, people who are unemployed and migrants get treatment from this workingclassmoney also, plus childbirth (no illness)
As a self employed you can also go with the regular health care system. However, you'll have to pay the full 14,5% plus Zusatzbeitrag. When you're just starting out with your company, that's sometimes cost prohibited.
Well, the whole "50% is covered by your employer" is just a scam, anyway.
It's not like there's an open roof in the accounting where money rains in. Employers calculate with the total costs, not just the framed costs.
Ryan, very simple: in Europe you don't have to worry about bills in case you end up in a hospital. The rest, is well complex since there is a mix of public and private Healthcare system.
This year for the 2nd time I had a proton therapy which cost my insurance 29.000 €. As I rode there 30 times they also payed me 1.600 € for driving expenses. If I hadn't been able to drive myself they would have payed for a taxi, but in that case I would have had to pay 600 € myself. That would have been about 10% of the taxi cost.
I could also have gone for a 3 weeks additional recovery treatment anywhere in Germany, but I didn't want it this time. 4 years ago I had this treatment in blackwood forest, 300 miles from my place. For that I payed 10 € a day.
I'm a 69 year old pensionist.
To the private insurance: Yeah - they don't have to take you, the public option is generally the only path for you if that is the case. I am disabled, there is simply no private insurance that would take me no matter how much I make. Which sucks because you have simply more options if you have a private insurance (for example, dermatologists are very rare to find for public insurance, you generally have to carry the costs yourself for a lot of treatments in that case. That said, the fees are not that insane.)
8:18 These co-payments are also capped at 2% of the gross family income per calendar year. And for chronically ill people, it's just 1%. If you've paid more, you can apply to your health insurance company to have the excess reimbursed.
my insurance pays me money when i am in hospital, and i am insured for accidents off work also by my employer. ripped a ligament in the knee and was alone in a room and meals where like prawns with risotto and stuff. in germany you can chose normal health insurance and pay yourself for extra updates, so no need for private stuff. only thing about private healthcare is that you get appointments much earlier
I've seen lots of complaints online about appointments in Germany. I live in the US and getting an appointment with my GP takes a month and some specialists can take two months. If I need to be seen sooner I end up at urgent care. Everything in the US has a copay, co insurance and or deductible to meet first.
Hi Ryan, one additional fun fact: the payment of 14,6% is capped by 843,53 Euro. As an employee you will pay max. 421 Euro.
Private insurance prices rise with the age of entry, it won’t rise any further just by aging once you’re in. Obviously it will rise with inflation. The new risk assessment makes a later swap of or change into private insurance usually unviable. It can stay fairly cheap if you make the decision early and stay with your company.
I worked as a qualified nurse in two Catholic German hospitals and a Protestent Old People's home [1991-95] and didn't like it at all!
When I was on nights, I was on my own with 35+ patients! They [unlike in the UK] are all in rooms of 1-5 beds and one cannot see into them,
so had to keep going round to ensure everyone was alive/not fallen etc. Was also lucky to get help to turn patients as it would mean the other ward having no-one there at all for 20 minutes etc.
Also the 'doctors' had too much sway on the wards [unlike here in the UK] and they even did the dressings [which we do in the UK]. Was glad to go back to England! lol
Understaffing of hospitals and nursing homes has been a problem for many years in Germany. Bad shift plans and high workloads are the result. You will find articles about that in German media every other week.
about Private Healthcare, normally this means you get appointments much faster and better rooms in Hospital stays. And i am pretty sure that the bills you get are never that ridiculously high as they are in the US even with private healthcare. So while it is closer to the US system it is not as expensive in regards to treatments and medication.
self employed are also able to get into a statutory health insurance. However, it is more expensive since you need to cover more % which usually your employer covers
There is an upper cap of income to that 14,6% (+x,x% that your own insurance company can want on top of the government base rate), so you only pay those percentages up to an maximum annual income of currently 62100€, if you make any more than that, you still don't have to pay any more for your health care insurance than some that makes exactly that amount.
You have 30+days to pay the bills for your private medical fees. That is usualy enough time to send it in and get the payment from the insurance to handle it.
Officers / state officers are kunda forced into private as they have to pay double for the regular one (the state doesnt cover the 50% - essentially making them self employed)
Yet the state helps with any bill and will cover 50% of your bill if you are privately insured - therefore you can sign cheaper tier insurances that cover only 50% of your bills - as the other 50% is covered by the state.
Additionaly:
I pay below 100/month for Private as trainee during my university education. For the "regular" id pay 300-400/month.
One big difference is that doctors can choose not to accept those with statutory health insurance. Privately insured people bring them more money. Thats why if you're privately insured, you get way better service at the doctor. Quick appointments and better treatments (or let's say: treatments without the "did you try drinking more water?" for months beforehand). That's why people choose Private insurance. But yeah, it also costs more in the long run and the paying up front can be a big problem for some.
I know people who have Private insurance and almost all of them wish they didn't choose it. And now its difficult to get back in the statutory. They can refuse you because you are already insured.
One thing completely different between German private insurance and US private insurance is that normally the treatment still is paid 100%, while in the US often you have e.g. 20% paid from your own pocket (which taken the insanely high costs you incur in the US can cripple you fast). That is pretty much impossible in Germany.
I moved to North Carolina for a year, I remember asking my company if they could get me an insurance that covers just 100% of all costs like they do in Europe (so no out of pocket pay), they literally just laughed at me xD
Yes, if you are self-employed you can choose to stay in the public healthcare-system, but the downside is: there is no employer who will pay the other half of the bill for you. So you will have to pay the full 14,6% of your gross income on your own, instead of only 7,3%, which can make public insurance much more expensive than a private insurance contract, depending on your gross income. As a public servant you are usually having a private healthinsurance, but it covers only 50% (in some cases 30%) of the doctor's bill and other expenses, which means your monthly price for the insurance is much lower than for other people in the private insurance. The rest of the doctors bill will be covered by the public employer you are working for and is called "Beihilfe" (=aid). That means you get the bill from your doctor, pay it and have to send the bill to both, your health insurance company and your "Beihilfestelle" to get your money back, which in case of the Beihilfe-part can take up to 4 till 6 weeks. In the private healthcare you get many benefits compared to the public healthcare, as doctors can make much more money out of you if you have a private insurance you get a better service which starts in getting appointments much sooner and may end in a more convenient waiting room and better therapies.
It doesn't cost too much, but so many doctors are overburdened. I called six specialists over several months now and none of them took new patients. Not even waiting lists.
The big advantage of private insurance is, that they usually pay a higher rate to the doctor / the doctor bills the private insurance companies higher, so you get faster appointments and private insurance also might cover things that the public doesn't. So you probably get better care. It's a huge criticism point of this "2 class" care system.
I've also heard people who really want a checkup or a timely appointment for a non-critical issue (that still bothers people like backpain) to just pay for it directly (to higher prices than the public insurance covers). Despite having public insurance. There's doctor offices that only take private and self-paying patients since there is also a limit on how many doctors the insurances give the "license" to treat publicly insured people and bill the public insurance. Especially for therapists for mental issues, there's a ton of criticism that they don't approve of enough seats and waiting on therapy appointments paid by public insurance can take months to years, depending. And then imagine if the first therapist you see doesn't fit you.
My dad as a public servant is privately insured and his dermatologist once said to him that without the boni from privatly insured patients (and probably also people who pay themselves) he wouldn't be able to cover the cost of the doctor office after 2/3 of the month.
So there's a lot of issues in the system. But overall I'm very very happy that we have it. It could be worse. (But it could also be a lot better)
I am so mad that he is German but decided to pronounce "Liechtenstein" wrong
An addition: self employed people in germany can join the GKV (public health insurance) on a voluntary basis. Regular employees have to stay in it if their regular gross income is below the "incurance obligation limit for health insurance", calculated and published twice a year, as of 7/2024 at 69,300 € p.a. If their regular income is higher they can opt to leave the public system and sign a private insurance. The problem is, they can only switch back if their income drops back below that limit permanently and if they are not older than 55 years of age. some people come close to retirement and dont observe this, and then they have to pay much more for their health insurance. The reason is: when in retirement, the retirement pensions are considerably lower than their former income, and a public healthcare premium is only calculated on that lower level, while the premiums of private health insurances are not related to the income but only to the insured risks (although they have to offer a reduced tarif for retirees).
Not all medicine is covered by insurance, so sometimes you have to pay the full price. But a years supply of Insulin will cost you, depending on your demand, less than 100€
Just to give another example. I need to take medicine against high blood pressure. My doctor prescribed two different medicines. One is free (don't know why) and one is not (don't know why) which means I have to pay around 20 EUR per year on my own.
@@hansmeiser32 I got Blopress (tm) forseveral years and only a part was payed by the insurance. When patent was gone the first "No Name" generica (same stuff but not in the golden and fancy package) where available and like a miracle a 3 month package of the original costs 80€ instead the former 170€ and because the pharmacy will inform you that there is even a cheaper version from a different company (and they can ignore the trade mark brand as long as the other medication is a generica and you accept the switch) that is 100% covered - I now only need to pay the default 5€.
Maybe the reason why one is expencive the other not.
@@hansmeiser32It may be free because the medical company has a deal with your insurance.
You can see the changes in deals when they switch you to a different brand every once in a while, or you don't need to pay the 5€ sometimes if the regular price or the deal brings the price below a certain threshold.
As a civil servant you usually have private insurance because the government pays for 50-80% of your healthcare, so you have to insure only the other 20-50% of possible payments.
I’m self employed and paying for public healthcare. Since I’m paying the maximum fee and have to pay the employers and employee part it’s about 1000,- Euro per month as well.
Covering homeopathic expenses is crazy, it's not possible for me to understand why they haven't cancelled it yet.
Because many people believe in this and since the Krankenkassen are half-privatized, they have to try to get as many people as possible.
And also, one of the few things where you can rightfully diss the Greens, this party is also an epicentre of homeopathic believers.
Though I thought that thing has finally been cancelled starting next year??
Because the insured chose that specific company probably for exactly that reason. They cost slightly more than those which don't.
There is uproar against paying that quackery and our current health minister advised against homeoquackery paid by the Krankenkassen.
The 10€ per day are usually payed for food in hospital you receive so basicly you dont Pay for doc and bed at all.
A friend of mine - employed in a veeeeerrrry high position in a local communal company - once declared, he would never ever out of statutory health insurance to private health insurance, despite he could. Because he knew of a person very ill person with private health insurance who couldn't afford paying bills and fell down below the level of statutory h.e. in the end...
However, with additionally health insurance he managed to get on a level of private level, of course.
But he said to me, if he would ever can't afford the additional any more, he won't fall down to the ground through all nets...
In Austria the private insurance isn´t not that high. You have your state insurance + private, when you want p.e. a single room in the hospital or a special doctor like the chief physician. But nobody had to die because he hadn´t money.
Let’s update the info in simple terms : average income of lower middle class households is about 3100€ brutto. That means with average tax level it will be about 2100€ netto with taxing #1 (system of 5 tax options). So now it’s almost December and that means, sometimes on average 200€ (holiday) more on brutto, which means 3300€, or 2300 € salary netto. Netto means, that which you get after all the tax money deducted.
- 280€ (monthly medical tax off)
- 310€ (monthly pension insurance)
- 43€ (monthly unemployment insurance)
-57€ (monthly nursing care insurance contributions) - that just the medical part of it.
…and so on. On average it is about 1000€ off your monthly brutto salary , depending on your taxes option. If you earn lower than a lowest middle class income, probably about 1500€, your taxes will be deducted accordingly. But it is still about the third of your brutto monthly salary. I know, on that video it sounds everything so nice and somehow more appealing, but it does have its own cruxes. It does have a potential to improve the whole system. But yeah, it is still better than the system in US.
The thing about the statutory health insurance system is that the companies are very, very heavily regulated by the government. They basically double as government agencies. It's a deal: The government doesn't have to do everything directly (like in Britain), and in turn the insurance companies get a certain, but limited profit. But they are, as I said, heavily regulated and they have to accept everyone, without any conditions.
The deal for the patients is this: You are effectively forced to be part of the system, but in turn you get any treatment that is medically necessary (with some exceptions). You have a rare cancer? Hemophilia (costs up to 6 million Euros per year)? No problem, you are covered, guaranteed by law.
Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. are also heavily regulated, especially the prices of products and treatments. Unlike in the US, where they can basically do what they want.
We also have the Unfallversicherung (accident insurance) completely paid by the employer every accident that happens when you are working and on the way to work or on the way home from work falls under this insurance.
There are some rules for what is and isn't insured but that's to much detail for me to write at the moment. 😂
Oh if you're self employed you're F-worded😂
If you are self employed in Germany you can take voluntary public healthcare. They grade your monthly contributions based on your projected annual income.
Here in the Netherlands is a statutory system for 2024, it's 110 / month per person => 18 years. up to 18 healthcare is free. People can buy additional care like Extra Dentist care, Alternative medicine, etc. The first 385 are out of pocket. Pre-existing condition is no problem
You are free to come to Germany (at least for 90 days).
And if you work here, you are insured and your family as well.
But that is the case in most countries in the EU.
If you are self employed you can also become a freely statutory insured person. The calculation of the fee is a bit complicated, but if you do it, you have the same protection for you and your family.
Most advantage on public healthcare is, you pay as long as you get a wage.
When you become unemployed or become an pensioner, you get no wage and don't have to pay, but you are still insured.
7:25 also if you cant find your card or shit...ask the doctor for their email, call your healthcare, tell em to send a confirmation to the doctor and that works as well in an emergency
I can tell you: I got Cancer treatment a couple of years ago. The whole healing process (hospital + chemotherapy) was about 500 € (which roughly translates to $500). That's it. From start to finish. I don't even want to know what the US would have had in store for me.
I recently destroyed my kneecap while being dumb at home. I had to go to 3 doctors to the xray then to MRI then to therapy for half a year to get everything working again. Now im walking perfectly again knee feels a little weird sometimes but no pain and i paid about 48€ for the therapy (basic transaction fee its not even for the therapy itself) everything else was completely covered by the monthly insurance payments. So going to the hospital or any medical facility is nothing special and wont change your financial situation at all.
But the Americans argue that they are free and can buy weapons, that is of course Much more important then a functioning Health insurance that everyone can afford. 🤣👍🏻🤭
Long wait times is highly overblown BS.
You can have long wait times for non urgent appointments.
That's because they leave slots for emergencies in the schedule.
I had a few emergencies in recent years and i got appointments within a few hours.
Yes I hear this argument so so often. They forget that they pay hundreds of dollars more for their insurance.
If you want to shorten the wait time from 3 months to 3 days, all you gotta do is tell them you pay out of pocket for the appointment. Mostly it will be under 100 bucks which is still cheaper than their co pay or deductible or whatever fees they need to pay for a doctor visit on top of their already expensive insurance.
I go relatively often to a doctor and my insurance documents show that I never had an appointment that was over 100 bucks.
We have about three times as many doctors and hospital beds per capita as the USA.
You don't have to take private healthcare if you're self-employed, but if you opt for the public healthcare system instead (which is called "freiwillig gesetzlich krankenversichert" - "voluntarily statutory health insured"), you'll pay the full premium on your total gross income (including income e.g. from rent or financial assets) up to currently about 845 Euro per month. In some cases some private healthcare options may seem to be cheaper, as long as you enter the private system at a relatively young age (and e.g. use the option of reimbursement of one monthly premium for years in which you did not use your health insurance at all). The problem will be to switch later back to the statutory healthcare system (because it will in most cases only be possible if you are not any longer self-employed and earn less than about 62,100 Euro per year in this job).