Comments on: Health Care in Germany

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 05:46:20 +0000

I wish there was a comparison b/t the U.S. and Brazilian health care system. The economics of dissimilar, but the ethnic demographic are more similar then any other country in the world. This would then allow a better opportunity for case study of health outcomes.

By: Christine Potthast

Christine Potthast — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:10:34 +0000

Christina,
Your article is excellent. It is very well researched and portraying the healthcare situation in Germany better than anything I have read before. I am sorry to come across it a few months after initially reading it only to find some really nasty comments, that are unsubstantiated and rather geared at disrupting a fruitful discussion than at finding answers. – Don’t worry, your research speaks for itself. – Of course, as in any place of the world, you will have doctors in Germany that you will like and there will be those you will not like. – Exams in medical school exams do not put personalities to the test. I have found great physicians in the US, and I have had bad experiences, two really bad experiences actually. In 1997, I almost died after surgery in the famous Houston Medical Center because the nurses in charge and the treating surgeon made a big mistake. Thanks to my neighbor who had stayed with me that night, I survived. She ran from one nurse to another until she finally found a nurse (on a different floor) that would understand my symptoms – and the alarm went off. I was saved last minute. – While I did not experience such a grave situation like that in growing up in Germany (I was younger of course), I came across some doctors I did not like at all but changing to someone else was never a problem. I will never understand why people in the US are so vehemently fighting against the idea that there could be healthcare for everyone. – A healthy population is not only happier but also more productive. Besides, we can all get sick, it can happen to any of us, anytime. I don’t understand the concept of making healthcare a privilege. -Thanks for your great blog, Christina. Positive accounts such as yours need to be spread in this country to open the eyes of those who can’t see it yet: Healthcare for all is not only possible, it would mean progress for the entire country.

By: Christine Potthast

Christine Potthast — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:07:17 +0000

Christina,
Your article is excellent. It is very well researched and portraying the healthcare situation in Germany better than anything I have read before. I am sorry to come across it a few months after initially reading it only to find some really nasty comments, that are unsubstantiated and rather geared at disrupting a fruitful discussion than at finding answers. – Don’t worry, your research speaks for itself. – Of course, as in any place of the world, you will have doctors in Germany that you will like and there will be those you will not like. – Exams in medical school exams do not put personalities to the test. I have found great physicians in the US, and I have had bad experiences, two really bad experiences actually. In 1997, I almost died after surgery in the famous Houston Medical Center because the nurses in charge and the treating surgeon made a big mistake. Thanks to my neighbor who had stayed with me that night, I survived. She ran from one nurse to another until she finally found a nurse (on a different floor) that would understand my symptoms – and the alarm went off. I was saved last minute. – While I did not experience such a grave situation like that in growing up in Germany (I was younger of course), I came across some doctors I did not like at all but changing to someone else was never a problem. I will never understand why people in the US are so vehemently fighting against the idea that there could be healthcare for everyone. – A healthy population is not only happier but also more productive. Besides, we can all get sick, it can happen to any of us, anytime. I don’t understand the concept of making healthcare a privilege. -Thanks for your great blog, Christina. Positive accounts such as yours need to be spread in this country to open the eyes of those who cannot see it yet: Healthcare for all is not only possible, it means progress for the entire country.

By: Christina Geyer

Christina Geyer — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:42:01 +0000

@agreetodisagree: I suppose, if we are judging health systems based on personal experience, then as your name states, we will have to just agree to disagree. My experiences, both as a public and a private patient here in Germany, have been quite the opposite of yours.

By: Agreetodisagree

Agreetodisagree — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:23:58 +0000

One other thing, I do mean to say because I don’t want that last one to come of rude because I do really like your blog and mostly I like your comments that don’t require me to do a million steps to respond. Good work, just not on this article.

By: Agreetodisagree

Agreetodisagree — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:22:34 +0000

What’s weird is that you seem to attack people with different views on this blog. Perhaps, that is the nature of being a blogger but still I think such an offensive is lame. Also, to whoever was calling out the spelling errors, that one read like a non native speaker to me, so cut him/her some slack.

Lastly, I have lived in the States and Germany, and I can not say the German care is better. I have had private and state in Munich and thought both were pale in comparison to America’s care.

That does not mean I am republican or against universal health care or whatever. In fact, just the opposite, I think the German care so terrible, one of the worst I have ever had, and I have even lived in West Africa, which has actually great free health care (Ghana). Ok, ok, well its not there for everyone and has its weakness of course, its Ghana.

My point is, the German care is terrible because they attempt to satisfy both a large corporate interest with insurance companies and maintain the superior social state, however, all the while weaking the structure of that state and level of care.

Germany Health is not as good on average as America, that is just a fact. Now, if you wanted to say, Germany health care is more available to the average person then I would agree, because it is, of course. I can not though in anyway agree with the level of care being good here.

I have never felt like the doctors were interested in my concern. They were distance, not thorough and seemed to prescribe things too fast, too easy just to bill an extra item and make money because they could not do it any other way. Not to mention, the doctor’s in Germany have long wait times and almost never take appointments without private insurance, and give priority to such people because they can make more money through private insurance carriers. Basically, they also seem to just give you useless treatment, all in the name of making a buck. I have read your blog and talked with many German friends before and after I chose to respond, and I still strong believe you sadly mistake and no offense, but drinking a little to much of the local kool-aid.

And to any of the obvious would be grammar police on your blog, which there seem to be a few. Whatever, this is a blog comment, so in my Kerouac-esk stream o consciousness bothers you then maybe you should spend more time reading things that are not the ramblings/opinions of random strangers through an internet blog.

By: Jentry

Jentry — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:11:22 +0000

Ok, I wasn’t going to get into this, but I feel I must since some people seem to not be able to read (or spell). First off Mr. “You Lie”, I think you need to go back to a certain government program, namely school, to learn how to spell. That being said, yeah. I think you need to educate yourself on what the bill is actually about. Are you going to deny sick children health coverage? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Oh, and to stereotype blacks as lazy and all hispanics as illegal are like me calling you en effing redneck. Yeah, you don’t know these people in need of health care. They are hard working Americans, yet the cost of health care in the US is insanely expensive that they simply can’t afford it…especially if you have a pre-existing condition. If you have a pre-existing condition you are just screwed. So, Mr. “You Lie”, educate yourself on what exactly this health care bill is going to do (yes, even for you you effing redneck) and please learn to spell. Oh, and everyone is allowed to speak their opinion, and having a blog is one of those ways in which you can do this. Christina is highly educated on this subject and had a very highly educated opinion on this matter, so it might be good to just process a bit of what she has to say…but you probably won’t. I’ll let you get back to your Fox News and Rush Limbaugh now…

By: YOU LIE

YOU LIE — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:01:41 +0000

so were supose to beleive some random anonimus blogger that claims to no somthing? you can calim ur a docter or lawyer or statsician but that dont make it tru. someone making up numers out of theair and telling lies on them doesnt make an exprt if you like it so much in europ you should stay and not push entitlment progams for lazyass blacks and illegal mexicns on harworking americans

By: Pat

Pat — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 09:16:17 +0000

Don’t sweat the trolls, Christina. I bet you a million dollars if you had written a post trashing German health care they would be commenting how awesome it was and not asking about your qualifications. I’m sure none of them question views that agree with them. We all have a right to have an opinion about a subject and if you have a blog you can write about it on your blog. If I don’t agree with something I just move on instead of making a jackass of myself. And the stupid thing on their part is that you are totally qualified to have an educated experienced opinion on health care!

By: rositta

rositta — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:01:32 +0000

You know Christina, now that health care reform has passed in the U.S. you will get all sorts of nasties coming out of the woodwork. I'm not sure they got it right actually and I wish Canada were more like Germany...ciao .-= rositta´s last blog ..The End Of The Rainbow =-.