No country that has insurance companies lets insurance companies make a profit on basic health insurance, and they have pretty strict rules. I mean, this is nice insurance. In Germany, for example, there are about 200 insurance companies. It's not single-payer. I want to make that point, 200 insurance companies. Anybody in Germany can buy any of the 200 company plans. If you don't like your insurance, guess what: You can drop it, shift to the next guy, and the new guy can't raise your premium. Now, that's, you know, more choice than anybody in America has. These companies have to cover everybody. They have to pay every claim. They don't have all those people going through, saying sorry, we don't cover that.and now the rest of the story
In many countries, if you're stressed, and the doctor says you need a weekend at the spa, the insurance has to pay for that. That's in the law. Generally, they have to pay in a short period of time. In France, the doctor has to be paid within three days. Get this: In Switzerland, if the insurance company doesn't pay your claim in five days, your next month's premium is free.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Food for Thought
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My (admittedly limited and possibly outdated) observation is that the German system works. Part of the reason it works is that EVERYONE is covered. People who are young and healthy and never go to the doctor are covered, and people who have every disease under the sun are covered. And it evens out. Doctors make treatment decisions with their patients (not with "beaurocrats" as opposition to reform in the US has threatened) and people have access to whatever doctor and/or facility they choose.
I think the German model is a functional model based on providing care to everyone while still providing competition to businesses. I'm glad to hear people finally talking about it.
yeah... but you know who was a German?
Yes, sir. My exchange student Jenny was a German. And that makes her LITERALLY Hitler.
but i meant Leibniz
Hehehehe.
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