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How Germany’s Universal Health-Care System Works

How Germany’s Universal Health-Care System Works

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Alexander Collins


Seventy percent of Americans
say the U.S. health-care system is in a state of
crisis or that it has major problems. That’s why we’re hearing a
lot about Medicare for all, including some plans going as far
as banning private health insurance companies altogether. On page eight of the bill, it
says that we will no longer have private insurance as we know it. And that means that one hundred
and forty nine million Americans will no longer be able to
have their current insurance. That’s in four years. I don’t think that’s a bold idea. I think it’s a bad idea. Problem. Senator Sanders, with that damn
bill that you wrote and that Senator Warren backs, is that it
doesn’t trust the American people. I trust you to choose what
makes the most sense for you. Not my way or the highway. One country found a way to
provide universal health care coverage while maintaining a competitive insurance
market that offers citizens more choices: Germany. Here’s
how they did it. In 2017, U.S. health care spending came
to around $10,200 U.S. dollars per capita in Germany. It was a little under $6,000. Overall, Germany spent about 11.2 percent of its GDP on
health care, while the U.S. spent 17.1 percent. Germany manages to cover
100 percent of its population. In the United States, about 8.8 percent of the
population remains uninsured. That comes to about 28 million
people with even more people underinsured. Despite spending less, Germany
has better or comparable health outcomes to
the United States. Studies show that in Germany, there
were fewer deaths that could have been prevented with proper
access to care. In 2013, there were 83 avoidable
deaths out of every 100,000 people in Germany, while the
United States had 112. Life expectancy in Germany is 2.5 years higher than the United States,
and the infant mortality rate is lower in Germany, with 3.3 deaths per 1,000 live births
as opposed to 5.8 deaths in the United States. Additionally, the maternal mortality rate
in the United States is more than 2 times
higher than in Germany. So how does Germany manage to
have better health outcomes while spending nearly half as much
as the United States? Germany is a system that would
look familiar to Americans in that everybody buys health insurance from a
private company and then the doctors and the hospitals and the
labs are almost all private. That’s T.R. Reid, author of the
book “The Healing of America.” He traveled the world exploring different
health care systems and how well they worked. But it works better in
Germany for a couple reasons. One is everybody is covered. Everybody is required
to have insurance. Everybody’s in the system. The insurance companies can’t turn you
down because you had cancer last year or something, they
have to take you. They have to cover you. Everybody has access to the same
treatment and all the doctors. You can go to any doctor without
any limits set by the insurance company. In Germany, health insurance is
mandatory for all citizens and permanent residents. There are two different systems that
residents can turn to for insurance. SHI, which stands for
statutory health insurance and PHI or private health insurance. German citizens are eligible for PHI if
they make more than a roughly 60,000 U.S. dollars per year or if
they are self-employed . Citizens making under that threshold
must pay into S.H.I. S.H.I is made up of a network
of competing, not for profit private health insurance funds known
as sickness funds. In S.H.I., dependents are covered free
of charge and monthly costs are capped around 840
euro per month. Even though S.H.I sickness funds
are not government agencies, many Germans think of them as part of
a public system because of heavy regulation. Keith Tanner helps expats
navigate the German health care system and he considers SHI
sickness funds quasi -public organizations. Basically, they have to
do what they’re told. They they are told by the government
in what range they can charge. They they’re told what health procedures
they can fund and they are told by the government who they
can accept as clients so they’re really just carrying out orders. They’re basically charities. They don’t exist to make a
profit for investors like American health insurance companies. They’re there
to keep people healthy. That’s what they’re there for. They follow all sorts of
rules that American insurance companies wouldn’t dream of. This system is funded through
compulsory contributions based on a percentage of citizens’ salaries with
employers sharing the costs. There are also built
in safety nets. The government will pay into S.H.I. on behalf of the
long term unemployed. Despite being non-profit organizations,
sickness funds compete for customers by offering specific
coverage and perks. This competition has changed over the
years as the system has allowed citizens more choice. As of 2019, there are about
100 statutory health insurance companies, but there used to be many more. When Germany’s system was first
established in the late 1800s, sickness funds were linked
to a person’s profession. It used to be that people were
assigned to a specific sickness fund based on their
occupation or region. Now Germans can choose where they enroll
and they can change funds on a yearly basis. As a result, sickness funds begin
marketing themselves in order to retain customers and
attract new ones. This also led to the funds
merging so they could become more competitive. Some of the sickness funds
offer perks that might seem similar to credit card rewards. You still can get a bonus for going
to the gym and a bonus having a checkup. This is in
the public system. And if you get a certain number
of bonus points, then you get a voucher. But kind of trivial stuff like
200 euros a year or something like that. 200 euros a year. Nothing which is particularly relevant
to the person who’s paying their 840 a month. As of 2017, roughly 87 percent
of Germans receive their primary coverage through S.H.I. and 11 percent of
the population through P.H.I. The remaining population, such as
soldiers, police officers and refugees receive health insurance
through specific government programs. All individuals
insured through P.H.I. pay a risk related premium with
separate premiums for each dependent. These risk based premiums mean that
costs will increase as the insured gets older. As a
result, the government regulates P.H.I. so people don’t become overburdened
by premiums as they age. The biggest issue with private health insurance
if you opt out of a public system is affordability
in old age. If you don’t impose these financial
constraints on insurers, then the government will be lumbered about a whole
lot of old people who reach 85, 90, 95. It’s gonna be totally able to
pay for their health insurance, so it’ll all fall back
on the government. Once someone switches to P.H.I., they can not switch back to S.H.I. in the future. But Tanner says
there are ways around that. If you’re a freelancer in the private
system, you just can’t get a job paying less than the threshold. Any employee earning under about 5000
euro a month is required to have public. If they own more than
that, they can opt out. So if you are a freelancer, you
want to go back into the public system for some reason. Then you’ll get a part time job with
a friend, pays you 500 a month for a few months, and then
you react in the public system. So there are ways to do it. The
only reason you probably want to do that, though, is if you have
lots of children, because children can be covered free in the public system,
in the private system, have to pay separately for each child. Germans can also buy supplemental
private insurance while staying in S.H.I.. For example, many Germans
buy supplemental dental insurance. The public system pays like for
major dental work, about half the cost and then you get supplementary to
take it up to 80, 90 percent of the cost. Germany’s system is not perfect. With so many different insurance
companies, there’s a lot of bureaucracy that contributes
to costs. One of the financial things thinking
it’s a big system administered by more than 100 organizations is
called krankenkassen, each of those has a head office and a president
and vice president and a financial officer, a whole lot
of unnecessary bureaucracy. This may be one of the reasons that
the German system is not as cost effective as other
European countries. More than 30 percent of both
Germans and Americans felt bureaucracy was a major issue
in their country’s system. Wait times can also be an
issue for people in S.H.I. Thirty seven percent of Germans cite wait
times as one of the biggest problems within their system, while 22
percent of Americans feel the same. Generally I think people are quite
happy with the public system. It works reasonably well. The major issue in big cities
— I’m in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg. It can take quite a while
to get an appointment with a specialist. It is the case that
the doctors prefer private patients because they own up to three times
more if they see a private patient. So what can the United States
learn from the German system? Germany has managed to balance
cost controls and universal coverage while also maintaining competition. And Germans generally
like their system. In one survey, not a single German
said they had to wait more than four months for an elective surgery,
while four percent of Americans said that they had to wait that
long for the same kinds of procedures. And only 7 percent of
Germans said they experienced a barrier to care because of cost in
the past year compared to 33 percent of Americans. Those citizens really like it. They like the fact
that everybody is covered. They like the fact that
the costs are totally predictable. You know what it’s going to cost
you and how much your insurance company is going to pay you before
you walk in, unlike the United States. They think it’s normal that
the insurance company pays every claim. They can’t believe that insurance
company might deny a claim. And they think it’s normal that
they get to choose the doctor. They don’t understand America, where
the insurance company says we won’t cover a doctor Jones. You have to go
to Dr. Smith instead. So the main thing I learned in going
around the world is you have to make the commitment to provide
health care for everybody. That’s the destination. It turns out there are many
different routes to that destination. I found, you know, the Canadian
model, the French model, the British model, the German model. They all get to this goal
in different ways and different models. So I don’t care what the model is. I think it’s important that you
make the commitment to cover everybody. And this is something
the world’s richest country has never done.

Related posts:

  1. How Medicare-For-All Works In Australia
  2. How Canada’s Universal Health-Care System Works
  3. Why Medical Bills In The US Are So Expensive
  4. Why Ford And Other American Cars Don’t Sell In Japan

100 thoughts on “How Germany’s Universal Health-Care System Works”

  1. g1598 says:
    November 25, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    I'm australian and have the opportunity to walk into any hospital or medical centre and pay nothing. If you Americans don't vote in Bernie Sanders you are absolutely dumb as dog ship then

    Reply
  2. Vera Dandiflor says:
    November 25, 2019 at 7:54 pm

    I'm from Russia – please, CNBC, make a video about our healthcare system, it's quite peculiar 🤨

    Reply
  3. Big Wave says:
    November 25, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    No doubt our system needs a fix. As a healthcare professional, I have to say this country is missing a big part of the discussion though.

    Americans, as a population, are straight up very unhealthy. Until people can temper their work-a-holism, stop snacking around the clock, actually eat half their meals in produce, refrain from overeating, and start getting adequate exercise, this country will continue to overspend on healthcare.

    This is not meant to be mean spirited, but so many of the conditions I treat are ultimately self inflicted. The lifestyle related, micro-insults people accumulate day after day take a toll over the course of years or decades and eventually manifest as disease. We can do better.

    Reply
  4. jake M says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    I think we need more Urgent Cares and Doctors on duty. They're cheaper. Chest pain and respiratory issues go to ER.

    Reply
  5. Lynda says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:18 pm

    I came to Germany as a foreign student in 2001. I was first privately insured in a student/au pair tarif paying as little as 30 Euros per month. I then entered the SHI scheme under a student tarif paying roughly 80 Euros, then remained in the SHI scheme voluntarily while job-seeking. When I got a job, I became fully insured as per my income on the SHI scheme and my 2 kids are alo insured under me free of charge until they come of age. My first child was born with a congenital health issue that probably cost 250,000 Euros to treat yet I never saw a single bill.

    The US needs to find a way of making universal health care a priority.

    University education is also free at public universities in Germany, for all students irrespective of nationality. I was able to study and finish without incurring any debt.

    Reply
  6. gsmd770 says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    I left the U.S. Army 25 years ago. I was stationed in Berlin,Germany. I live here in Berlin today. You couldn't pay me money to go back in live in America for all the tea in China!!! I'm a vet of the first Gulf War. Everything in America is based on pure GREED!!!! Money over people! That's the American way!!!

    Reply
  7. Animated Anatomy says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    I am a medical student here and also was patient in Germany as well… Let me tell you something how German health care system works: It doesn't. There are so many problems with the system here I wouldn't even know where to start. You have to pay for a collective healthcare even though you are healthy and you do so for your ENTIRE FREAKING LIFE. What's wrong with that? Since all is state funded, clinics, especially university clinics that do surgeries and important examinations are usually if not exclusively, state run. As with everything that is not open to free market, they are full of corruption and chaos. For example in the U.S. USMLE exam provides young med graduates with possibility to get places they deserve and to be the best surgeons and cardiologists or whatever they always wanted. Here it works like this: You know the boss of the department, you bring a basket of beer and shake hands under the table: you got yourself a speciality to be the neurosurgeon. This results in catastrophic disbalance in ratio of GPs and specialists. In Germany, we don't have a system like USMLE that ensures quick fair and transparent progress of young doctors. Futher more, salaries remain pretty much the same whether you work like a moron 3 surgeries a day or you know the boss and you do 1 surgery a day and rest of the day visit some "academic" seminars. German healthcare system is completely unprepared for the industries of the future such as A.I. since we lack big data and we refused so badly to integrate with rest of the EU and bring standardization to a level where it would be doable. Further more, state run insurances are pretty much the same, corrupt and slow. People who work in those insurances are usually people who are friends or family with people in the local governments. This ensures catastrophic results… For example insurance takes money FROM ALL citizens who can pay for it and we even take money from foreign students who don't have a working permission so in theory we are taking money from people who aren't allowed to work. Yet we demand them to pay the insurance to prolong their VISA. So.. the insurance and state insurances drain the money from the entire population BUT since there is no competitive effect here, we are finding it hard to cover basic things recently. So for example if you are insured you will most likely pay 10-20 or eve 30k euros in insurances for couple of years but when you go to a dentist, insurance won't pay for composit fillings, instead will pay only for amalgan. They will pay composit only for front 3 teeth. It looks horrible… So for example as a student since I work, I've paid 20K so far in insurance fees but when my tooth broke, I had to pay that as well on my own. Guess what? I got sick and the surgery I want to do is done by a private clinic in the U.S. since in the U.S. clinics have to stay competitive and they collect patients from the entire world if they can and specialize in very rare diseases as well, just to have that edge and to stay ahead and be competitive. OF course here they can do surgery for like common diseases and even that is not up to the same standards as it is in the U.S. So besides paying for 20k euros for my insurance so far, I had to pay thousands of euros for my teeth and guess what? Yep… I had to pay the surgery as well because it's a rare surgery and not included in the "catalogue" that state insurances accept… So I am still in my twenties… This great "insurance" that this video propaganda is praising so much has set me back good 50 000 euros and who knows how much till the end of my life? The system where work doesn't matter, where good and smart one is not paid well>> is doomed to fail. I however as a young patient or student have to pay for those flaws. How about you actually ef yourself and give me back my money, I'll pay the doctor I actually trust? And guess what… it will be an American doctor. Thank you, I say this as a medical student here. American healthcare system just needs to cover up some holes. We need to change the entire stupid healthcare we have.

    Reply
  8. jake M says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    In my work, you get discounted monthly premium if you lower your cholesterol and weight. At another hospital they give $150 cash for lowering you cholesterol and weight.

    Reply
  9. James Valt says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    Something l will never understand about America

    Reply
  10. SineEros says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    For us Europeans it blows our mind how any American could be against universal health care. Nobody, and I tell you nobody, would ever want to abandon such a system. It‘s corporations and their chess pieces (Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg to name a few) who try to convince you through propaganda to leave the status quo so they can make more money off of you. Hope you vote for Bernie, the only one who can save you all.

    Reply
  11. I C says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:46 pm

    The German health care system is very excellent! It will be interesting to see what happens when those Islamic followers start threatening funding.. They have been marrying 1st cousins for not decades,but centuries .They tend to have a lot of kids,and there are lots of birth defects that require specialized medical care .It's already happening in Britain…

    Reply
  12. Quadrato says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    Also Germany:
    – 30 days of payed vacation a year

    – Not getting fired if you call in sick

    Reply
  13. Chi Chu says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    Because in Germany the Healthcares system are similar to Obama cares.Obama tries to reforms the U.S. Healthcares system to like most of the industrialized countries of the world markets.Until the crazy nut ball Orange hairstyle con artist even losing money as the House in Vegas .Trump Cons and Cheated his way to the Presidency Oval Office.Now the United States voters likes the Independent Party and the Green Party must ban togetherness with the Democrat Party to defeat the Republican Party and this Nut Ball out of Office and stopping the United States Healthcares systemwide as a Ticker Numbers on a Computer Board on the NY Stocks Market exchange floor for making big corporations businesses profits for themselves like anythings else’s on the Stocks Market Floor.

    Reply
  14. lucas van der heijden says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    I think that the biggest problem is that people in America don’t want to pay is it isn’t necessary. I live in the Netherlands here we have a culture of having so many insuranceses that you don’t no what you can claim anymore. So I don’t see it is better here but it is mostly in the culture

    Reply
  15. mctapt says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:27 pm

    As someone who lived in in Germany, France, UK, Canada and the US , I can tell that the US and Canadian system are by far the worst of all. The German system is so much better. It still has its flaws and is not perfect. Best treatment is by far in Nordics and Switzerland. The US system is broken because it is privatised and everybody wants to make big bucks vs. help the sick (insurance, hospitals, doctors, drug companies etc. ). If you have a lot of money, you get excellent service in the US. For the rest forget it. Also, medical salaries are ridiculously high in the US making compared to France, UK and Germany. US doctors earning +200k or more. Nurses get more than 66k $ entry salary is mentally high for this job and the service you get. Well as a med school graduate who has paid 250k $ in tuition fees, he/ she needs to have such a high salary in order to pay back the student loan. I guess it is all just one circle…

    Reply
  16. Minimax says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:30 pm

    I am German the system work since 1883 and was introduced as we were a Monarchy. it worked throughout two devastating worldwars – and as you all know we were in the middle of it. No politician ever had the idea to get rid of this system.

    Reply
  17. Kyle Didur says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    Ive never understood this. Why do US media outlets look to stuff in Europe and never compare the Canadian system when its right next door AND we still have private insurance for a lot of out health care. It would be the most similar to what should and could happen in the states. If I go to the hospital for anything, the Provincial Gov pays my bill, but I can still have additional private insurance (whether through my employment or if I buy it) to pay for private hospital rooms, pills or the dentist.

    Reply
  18. AgentBubbles says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    With universal health care comes extremely high taxes.

    Reply
  19. Jesse M. says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:47 pm

    Can we ban all the broke people from the U.S.? Get your bands up. You should have at least 250k in a separate account for emergencies 🙄

    Reply
  20. pitbullfiend5 says:
    November 25, 2019 at 10:10 pm

    2 things we'll never see in the US. Free education and healthcare. It doesn't benefit the elite to have happy, healthy, intelligent and non debt ridden citizens.

    Reply
  21. hunnerdayEDT says:
    November 25, 2019 at 10:28 pm

    The most don't want to keep their current health insurance fit better is cheaper. Even the best insurance is prohibitively expensive. My current insurance is awesome, but as soon as I retire from my job it's gone.

    Reply
  22. hunnerdayEDT says:
    November 25, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    While insurance is a problem, the main issue is overpriced medical costs. I mean $40 for gauze and $100 for a hospital gown? That needs to regulated as well.

    Reply
  23. Fabian R says:
    November 25, 2019 at 10:56 pm

    German here…so a couple of thoughts, having lived in the US quite some time.

    1. Despite making far more than $60.000 USD, I and many other chose to be still within SHI as I feel it’s my “duty”. If all the “rich” opt-out, then the system would no longer work, so many actually stay – even though it may be more expensive in the short run and not the most privileged option – yet, on an overall scale you feel it’s worth it. Keeping a system fairly equal makes for social peace.

    2. Another reason I stayed within SHI is that opposed to what the video says, people in Germany can be overburdened by PHI – and yes, there are ways to go back into SHI but it’s not THAT easy as to just “working for a friend”…if you were employed, made more than $60k and switched to PHI, it’s almost impossible to go back, especially when you’re older. That’s the “threat”.

    3. Yes, it’s not perfect. But overall it’s pretty good + if you’re really sick, we do have the same exceptional technology against cancer and other major diseases as the US – and you don’t have to wait forever. However, you have to be really sick, you do not just get access because you can be used as a profit maker.

    4. German ethics are different. Had a major surgery done? You’re in pain? They’ll give you pain killers for a week … not longer. So people are totally okay with that and accept the fact that if you’re body is cut open, it may hurt for a while – in return, there is no Oxy-crisis whatsoever.
    Also, people actually tend to go to the doctor LESS than they should than too often – again ethics. Whether they’re right or not, but it helps keeping cost down.

    5. Hate to say it, and boy I do love the US – but if I lived in the US, would I want universal health insurance? Would I want to pay for a group of obese, uneducated and left-behind people that unfortunately has grown way too large in the US (for very different reasons I do not want to discuss here, but it’s a fact unfortunately) No. The train has left the station.

    This system works in Germany / Europe, where people get bigger, too, but everything is still so much less extreme. We cycle. We walk more. We eat much healthier.

    On average I feel that my fellow Germans are much more responsible than my American friends with their health…hence, for Germany I’m okay to pay into one system. Would I be okay with that in the US? No. In the US, there are a lot of people being very healthy, sporty and responsible. But that’s not the average, and the other end is so poorly off…nope. Thanks.

    Reply
  24. ECduzitgood says:
    November 25, 2019 at 11:20 pm

    Perhaps if there wasn't 30% (over 30 million) of Mexico's population already living in the US with over half living here on taxpayer funded entitlements/welfare healthcare wouldn't be so expensive. Research the changing U.S demographics to see who you and your children will be taxed to support.

    Reply
  25. Rapide says:
    November 25, 2019 at 11:29 pm

    This video made me value our German healthcare system a bit more. Because I'm used to it, I find myself complaining about it every once in a while an tend to forget that it's actually pretty good.

    I hope that you guys in the US will get a good and fair healthcare system as well in the future! Nobody should be put into financial jeopardy because of an illness or injury.

    Reply
  26. DD says:
    November 25, 2019 at 11:36 pm

    Everything in USA is PROFIT DRIVEN – EVERYTHING. Just ask Cadet Bone Spur! 😁

    Reply
  27. Sharp Tongue says:
    November 25, 2019 at 11:37 pm

    Shoot any form of social safety net in the guts. Pew pew pew pew. 'murica.

    Reply
  28. 「x」 says:
    November 25, 2019 at 11:59 pm

    US isnt a democracy its a corpocracy

    Reply
  29. MickyAvStickyHands says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:01 am

    Were no big problems before ACA came and messed everything up (on purpose). Then Hillary was supposed to "fix" the problem with single payer and hook a bunch of Democrat voters on government welfare medical. Boy, did they miscalculate this one.

    Reply
  30. João Azevedo says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:13 am

    As a German I think it’s funny to hear Americans saying “we give Americans freedom to chose”. I have my insurance (which I can change whenever I want and it takes minutes to do so) and I have the freedom to go to the doctor when I want, where I want etc.

    Also they forgot to mention the medicines. For all the essential medicines, if they cost until 99€, I only pay five. All medicines over 100€ we pay 10€.

    I don’t know any German who is against this system. Everyone is happy. The ones who pay and never use are happy, I mean, who wants to be sick? But they still have the peace of mind that, if something goes wrong, they won’t die for not being able to afford. And people who are sick are also able to afford it.

    I think for a rich country it is the minimum.

    Reply
  31. V. V says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:19 am

    SO ACCORDING TO LIB-NUTS, EVEN IF 93% OF AMERICANS ALREADY HAVE PRIVATE OR PUBLIC (Medicare, Medicaid, Fed & State programs) INSURANCE. WE STILL NEED TO UPEND ENTIRE CURRENT SYSTEM? wtf ? If that’s not corruption & pandering, idk what can be?

    Reply
  32. alex i says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:29 am

    Germany doesn't have enough diversity yet

    Reply
  33. Cerebral Caustic says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:34 am

    the top income tax rate in Germany is 42% and applies to taxable income above 55,961 Euros.

    there's also a 19% VAT on most purchases (7% on food and a few other items)

    if you want EU style healthcare, you must also embrace EU style taxes.

    Reply
  34. smoking corvette says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:58 am

    Murica health system is bs I had to switch doctors cuz the doctor office didn't want to go thru the hoops for that insurance so now the new doctor wants to run the same test I went thru 6 months ago for the same problem. Now both doctors have made money on me with those test. To fix the health care system just need to make it were the doctors have to accept all insurances no matter what company it is

    Reply
  35. Or Luis Shemtov says:
    November 26, 2019 at 1:14 am

    As a migrent to Germany, the German health system is of the worse I've seen. Sure it's not as bad as the US, but it's also not the thing to aspire for 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

    Reply
  36. Vision33r says:
    November 26, 2019 at 1:46 am

    Hate to break it to you folks but the main reason is that the US spends too much money on the military and foreign aid. Have you look at the countries on the list? They spend very little in the military compared to US. When there's any conflict, the US immediately sends out a aircraft carrier with thousands of troops. That's billions $ a month. Do you see the Germans or any other European countries do that? Why are we the tax payer forced to spend all this tax money feeding the military that are out policing the world. If there's a war out there, it's not our problem. We should have to spend a trillion dollar and thousands of body bags for the middle east. That's why America tax the people so much and give back so little.

    Reply
  37. Flappy McFlappington says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:21 am

    If the US spends 17% of GDP on healthcare and if we lowered cost to the 11% of GDP that Germany spends. What would happen to that 6% of that GDP?

    Reply
  38. doom2avatar says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:39 am

    Ummmm 800 euros a month is 10x more expensive than low tier affordable care act premiums and 2-3x more than bad US employer premiums. This is also assuming an equal exchange rate and currently the euro is more valuable than the dollar

    Reply
  39. Tom Meyers says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:40 am

    Does Germany have 30% of its population in uneducated low IQ welfare races?
    No?
    Then please don't compare them to the US of A.

    Reply
  40. Tom Meyers says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:41 am

    If you sneak into the US wearing a Sombrero you get free health care. Ariba!

    Reply
  41. Freddy Krueger says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:51 am

    Wait till the economic collapse occurs in Europe starting in 2020.
    The health-care system will then consist of putting grandma in a gas chamber.
    There won't be any money to pay govt employees let alone take care of the old & sick.

    Reply
  42. _ Robbo says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:46 am

    It blows me a way that such a rich country with some of the greatest minds and inventions in history with so much extra money to spend on the military has such unaffordable healthcare. Yes I hear all the reasons but the reluctance to fix it makes me think it has to be one of the most corrupt countries in world as well. What else can you conclude from it?

    Reply
  43. SonicSP says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:56 am

    I read T.R. Reid's Healing book, while he makes some good point in it, even if in general his opinion is extremely one sided.

    From the book, i also gathered he doesnt understand the real meaning of "private" businesses. The concept is not just about who runs it, but also about the freedom to set your own prices for a given treatment based on some of his opinions and wording on some of the case studies in his book.

    That said, its a good book to read, regardless of whether you will ultimately agree or disagree with his viewpoints. It gets you thinking more in depth about the subject and the pros and cons of different health systems across the world.

    Reply
  44. Dirk Curritzki says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:13 am

    lol cnbc almost made a series "How every country's universal health care works, except for the us"

    Reply
  45. mo brown says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:14 am

    Most Politicians are vipers

    Reply
  46. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:30 am

    25% of the german population is in pain, 33% is mentally ill, 33% has high bloodpressure, and so on. the german health care system sucks wang!

    Reply
  47. Pavlin Petkov says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:32 am

    You are being manipulated… France, Germany UK, and the other western European countries are importing healthcare professionals from eastern Europe. This is the MAGIC OF THEIR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM! Obama and the rest do not know what they are talking about. I'm a pharmacist from Bulgaria and my net salary is 12,000 USD per year… A collage of mine is working in Germany and his net salary is 40,000 USD per year… My parents are physicians with more than 20 years of experience and their salaries are also a joke. Medicine is medicine all over the world but the physitians income is very different… In countries like Bulgaria, everyone can graduate medicine at no cost but the quality is relatively low… Those are communist practices inherited from the former Soviet Union… The system is corrupt and it always leads to low quality… The USA's system is the only possible working system… Everything else is communism and WHO does not measure the quality of the healthcare systems in eastern Europe. It is in correlation with the better quality of the systems in western European countries… we are in the EU and our countries cannot be analyzed separately… I'm shocked how incompetent your consultants are… Generally speaking, they are lying to the public… A year ago In a private clinic in London, I was examined by a physician called Dr. Mariane. The nurse and the secretary were also emigrants… I'm rolling on the floor laughing what kind of news you are watching before the elections…

    Reply
  48. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:32 am

    german psychiatrists would tell you to buy your medicine illegally!

    Reply
  49. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:33 am

    basically all they have as medications is substances made from urine and mineral oil…

    Reply
  50. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:34 am

    the german government is a terrorist and criminal organization, so what can you expect?

    Reply
  51. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:36 am

    and almost half of the german population has a bad vision problem too.

    Reply
  52. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:38 am

    doctors regularly tell people they are crazy when they come with serious health problems, because these doctors don´t want to or rather can´t spend their budget on people feeling unwell.

    Reply
  53. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:39 am

    and in germany, you still can´t have proper pain medication when you really need it. and everyone hates psychiatric or blood pressure medication because these make you feel even more unwell.

    Reply
  54. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:42 am

    and the pharma industry can sell the most expansive medication that are made from urine or urea rather and mineral oil or benzol rather. without the urea and the benzol these drugs wouldn´t work. barbiturats are made from urea for instance. benzol is a narcotic. that´s basically all they have.

    Reply
  55. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:45 am

    the most normal or natural cause of death is senility, but in germany you most likely either die from high bloodpressure or cancer! germany is an evil plot against the people!

    Reply
  56. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:46 am

    senility is when the organs at a high age slow down until they stop working!

    Reply
  57. Patrick Thomas Kuessner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:47 am

    how many people die from senility in germany? less then 1% maybe? the main cause of death is because your government has killed you in the worst way imaginable!

    Reply
  58. Charles Rozario says:
    November 26, 2019 at 7:15 am

    NBC has a lawsuit of 275 million against them for promoting fake news. Better watch out what you say honey

    Reply
  59. Benjamin Lange says:
    November 26, 2019 at 8:06 am

    And Switzerland is same with private insurance

    Reply
  60. Liesbeth de Vries says:
    November 26, 2019 at 8:16 am

    Vote for Bernie Sanders. Greetings from Germany.

    Reply
  61. There's something between your teeth ! says:
    November 26, 2019 at 8:29 am

    But they have freeeeedom! 🤣
    The funniest thing are the broke ass and middle class people fighting against higher taxes for their poor poor billionaires. As if they seriously hope they'll one day get there too. So stupid. They're free to die, that's all.

    Reply
  62. CorneliusK says:
    November 26, 2019 at 8:46 am

    02:18 is wrong. We don't have predominantely private insurance or clinics in Germany. Far from it.
    Most people are in basic mandatory ("gesetzlichen") insurances which get vast subsidies from tax payers and cover the cost of standard care and procedures.
    If you want special treatment you can pay extra specific for your current case or switch to private insurance.
    Private insurance companies operate for profit and will generally have steeply rising costs with age.
    In many cases your employer can pay up to half of your insurance fees for either type. Most hospitals are state run too, though there is a trend of privatization.
    Compared to the US our system works because it is highly regulated by law, a huge proportion is financed by taxes everyone pays and treatment/medicine costs are not as insanely high as stateside.

    Reply
  63. Quiet Corner says:
    November 26, 2019 at 9:06 am

    I'm an American living in Germany and I have private insurance. IMO even the private system if far far better than that in the States. I was diagnosed with MS in 2009. When my doctor changed my medication, I didn't have to go crawling to my insurance company begging them to pay for it. Usually on an annual basis, I have to go for an MRI to see if things have changed. My neurologist writes a referral to a radiologist and in the end, they pay it. As a private patient, I pay nearly all of my expenses up front, except meds, and they reimburse me. My out of pocket is 250€ (approx. $275 depending on exchange rate) per year for medication. My ins company pays the pharmacy directly due to the cost of medication. My medication runs over 2100€ (app $2300) per month.

    Reply
  64. ipisking says:
    November 26, 2019 at 9:06 am

    I will take the American health care system over the German one any day. And yes, I used both.

    Reply
  65. 앤서니 야 says:
    November 26, 2019 at 9:16 am

    American-styled capitalism will be the death of the American republic.

    Reply
  66. David Hill says:
    November 26, 2019 at 9:24 am

    Could you do one on Australia's healthcare system versus the USA's

    Reply
  67. Dan Festag says:
    November 26, 2019 at 10:06 am

    Germany's healthcare system is absolute garbage. Just go there and see for yourself

    Reply
  68. Nelson Swanberg says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:07 am

    Sounds like the Affordable Care Act. Unlike twitler care where you just die.

    Reply
  69. Top Of The Hour Radio Station ID's says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:10 am

    The problem is too much government intervention. If people could buy across state line's, medical test information could be transferred(so as to not have the same test done over again), and just open up things more to the free market, prices would significantly drop . You would see real competition which would drive down prices, much how auto insurance works.

    Reply
  70. Stefan Westhagen says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:36 am

    What they almost comepletly forgot to cover, is how much cost is controlled by government agencies.
    Here clear rules are set out, about how much a special medicine can cost. And how much a doctor can charge for a treatment. This means no 600$ insulin, or 20000$ hospital fees.

    Reply
  71. The Biker Bug says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:55 am

    SHI = $1060 per month sound pricey….. so again a Ponsey scheme the healthy subsidies are used for the sick. People that I know in Germany found that service was decreasing.

    Reply
  72. YouNeed2FearMe says:
    November 26, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    The USA has over 20+ million illegal immigrants and an untold number of other immigrants. Our problems can be solved if you stop letting so many people into our country. Start deporting more people and just maybe we can turn this ship around . We can’t solve all of our problems while importing millions of poor idiots each year !

    Reply
  73. Sharann says:
    November 26, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Me: Sees American Healthcare
    Also me: Laughs so hard in German
    American: we have better Hospitals
    Me: Gets Treatment in the US paid by my SHI
    Also Me: Laughs Extremely in German

    Reply
  74. titoizdaman3 says:
    November 26, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    Good video, but population is a big factor that was ignored. We have about four times the people, not including undocumented immigrants. The German system could be implemented here though. Just have to chellenge big pharma and insurance companies and not flinch.

    Reply
  75. Oliver says:
    November 26, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    I am german and i love our healthcare system. It's one of the things we almost don't need to talk about politically. We have other issues though.

    Reply
  76. Isaac Alonzo says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    Just remember that an insurance company can make a profit two ways: by drying coverage or when you don't use it. And thats why the corporate middle man structure it's stacked against the sick and the poor.

    Reply
  77. HammerTh says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    The only issue with the german healthcare system is the difference between private and mandatory insurance. Doctors earn more from privately insured patients, up to three times as much as they would earn from a mandatorily insured patient. Therefore, a lot of doctors specialise to only treat people with private insurance. This means that people with mandatory insurance often have a long wait to get appointments, mostly for specialists like radiologists or orthopedist.

    Reply
  78. Fredy Rojas says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    Canada is very cold but knowing that I have healthcare makes the big difference.

    Reply
  79. Lugmillord says:
    November 26, 2019 at 3:57 pm

    German here: Go for Bernie's single payer plan! Yes, our system is much better than the curren tUS model, but it doesn't cover visual aids or dental care as Bernie's plan does. Also, our two tier system still gives the average citizen disadvantes over privately insured that I find immoral. It's basically "pay to skip the line" and that's wrong on so many levels. Health care should always be delivered to those who need it the most first, not those who pay more. So don't be fooled. If there was a politician like Bernie running here, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

    Reply
  80. Juan Suarez says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    It is funny how people do not realize how racist this is. The only places that have good healthcare is when you have a homogeneous white society. So, in order for this type of healthcare to work in America is if they become a homogeneous white country.

    Reply
  81. Jade Madison says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:48 pm

    You know what would be a hell of a lot simpler? Just getting rid of private insurance. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

    Reply
  82. Duran says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    %90 🤦‍♂️ fake news

    Reply
  83. Duran says:
    November 26, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    I pay $580 a month for BCBS individual PPO insurance. Still, I don’t get full coverage, I have to fight my insurance company with almost every decision, plus I have to pay at least $13k extra of medical bills every year as out of pocket.

    Reply
  84. Xin Zhang says:
    November 26, 2019 at 5:08 pm

    Hail, Bismarck!

    Reply
  85. Duran says:
    November 26, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    I had an adrenalectomy surgery in Chicago. They told me it would cost ~$61k with me paying ~$13k plus my regular monthly premium of $580.
    After the surgery, the hospital n the insurance company have changed their minds n billed me with ~$186k claiming that some of the technicians, anesthesiologists, labs workers were out-of-network even though the hospital itself n the surgeon were in-network 🤦‍♂️ So, they technically wanted me while I was sick asking every person in that hospital, labs, surgery center if they r in-network with my BCBS insurance company or not 🥴
    A year after, I’m still wasting my life fighting this..

    Reply
  86. Spenser Thomas says:
    November 26, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    Why should we allow an industry to continue exist that puts profit over the deaths and bankruptcies of our friends and family. Obama allowed them to write ACA which has suprise! caused a rise in costs. Put them out of business they are entirely at fault for the cruelty and greed of our system.

    Reply
  87. Mark Anthony says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    It doesn't work…neither does Sweden's or Finland's…why, you ask? Because they swamped their own countries with immigrants who have many health problems and are draining all the health resources dry.

    Reply
  88. Joe Hennessy says:
    November 26, 2019 at 6:52 pm

    Got to love a video that does not factor anything involving population for the other country. Yea we may have had 20 more “avoidable” deaths but our population in the US is over 3x larger than Germany so to say 83 is better than 113 is a gross over simplification

    Reply
  89. Syazwan Wan says:
    November 26, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    Thank fully Malaysia health care is cheap.

    Reply
  90. Darth Tater says:
    November 26, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    Tax the hell out of fast food , alcohol, tobacco and sugary foods and drinks for health care since these are the products that put most people in the hospital

    Reply
  91. Michał Ziobro says:
    November 26, 2019 at 10:54 pm

    The best system is in Poland. 😉 we pay just 100$ and have pretty good coverage. If we pay a bit more we will have the best healthcare system

    Reply
  92. multisphere1 says:
    November 26, 2019 at 10:58 pm

    Maybe there is the better one than German ? It’s the fact that US one is the worst for sure. How about French?

    Reply
  93. multisphere1 says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    It’s better just to die in US , rather than get sick.

    Reply
  94. Eddie Brahhh says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:08 pm

    This video is incredibly uninformative.

    Reply
  95. M M says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:10 pm

    It's either compulsory insurance for everyone and they can't turn you down or buy if you want but if you out of insurance (no continuity) they can turn you down for pre existing conditions

    Reply
  96. Bike Boy says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    Thats not true 100% CNBC! You get at least 2 points wrong. If you want to know, how it really work in Germany. Get in touch with me.

    Reply
  97. Lone Wolf says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    The scare campaign about government control to stop bills making health care affordable is rubbish, In Australia under Medicare at tax time everyone pays a 2% levey with their tax returns on top of that the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benifits Scheme) government negotiate the best price for medications and subsidise it to make it affordable also, Michael Moore doco "Sicko" just highlights some of the problems with the US system where 9/11 rescuers cant even afford Ventaline and went to Cuba to buy in bulk, To me that is a disgrace for the most wealthy country.
    Is ours perfect I will be the first to say no and needs improvment but better than letting private companies control the health system or you selling your home just to get life saving drugs.
    As for having insurance is no guarantee of coverage either as the doco explains the pitfalls and choices people have to make thats if the you jump pass the company scrutiny to exclude your claims.

    Reply
  98. xcw4934 says:
    November 26, 2019 at 11:44 pm

    Most important paraphrased quote: In the US, funds exist to profit. In Germany, funds exist to keep people healthy.

    Reply
  99. uhplumber says:
    November 27, 2019 at 1:49 am

    Until the politicians in the U.S. come clean about what it is going to cost as far as taxes and quit promising everyone that the rich will pay for it, nothing is going to change. It will take a commitment from all income levels if Universal Healthcare is to be enacted in any serious manner. Obamacare was a scam from the start. The German system also covers only citizens and permanent residents. The Liberals in the U.S. want to cover millions of Illegals.

    Reply
  100. jamal ali says:
    November 27, 2019 at 2:11 am

    Bernie or bust. #M4ALL #NotMeUs #Bernie #President #2020

    Reply

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