Comments on: Health Care in Germany: Reader Experiences http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/ life, the universe, and Germany Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:26:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: mississauga dentist http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-103106 mississauga dentist Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:41:23 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-103106 If this case happen in a first world country, what else can you expect in a third world country who even can not afford the patient to pay the bill in the hospitals. I received a lot of emails from friends that they are crying for help asking someone to pay their bills. If this case happen in a first world country, what else can you expect in a third world country who even can not afford the patient to pay the bill in the hospitals. I received a lot of emails from friends that they are crying for help asking someone to pay their bills.

]]> By: Gabe Fife http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-98131 Gabe Fife Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:16:47 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-98131 hello, i am working on getting funded for doctoral studies in konstanz. from what i understand i may be funded just like most graduate students in the US and Germany and get some reasonable monthly stipend for conducting research projects (my current stipend for my master's is 15,500 USD per 10 months). It is also possible that i get more as i might be contracted through a private company...i wouldn't think that would account to a considerable amount either. with that said my concern is monthly health premiums. my wife is 31 and i am 27...will be 28 in december. i understand that monthly premium are determined on income but i have NO IDEA what this might be in germany as an american graduate student. it is likely that my wife may not have a job for a while as she would have to find work (one source of income). any insight to this? thanks! gabe .-= Gabe Fife´s last blog ..<a href="http://koreandojang.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-semester-coming-to-end-i-have-been.html" rel="nofollow"></a> =-. hello,

i am working on getting funded for doctoral studies in konstanz. from what i understand i may be funded just like most graduate students in the US and Germany and get some reasonable monthly stipend for conducting research projects (my current stipend for my master’s is 15,500 USD per 10 months). It is also possible that i get more as i might be contracted through a private company…i wouldn’t think that would account to a considerable amount either. with that said my concern is monthly health premiums. my wife is 31 and i am 27…will be 28 in december. i understand that monthly premium are determined on income but i have NO IDEA what this might be in germany as an american graduate student. it is likely that my wife may not have a job for a while as she would have to find work (one source of income).

any insight to this?

thanks!

gabe
.-= Gabe Fife´s last blog .. =-.

]]> By: Amy http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-20094 Amy Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:43:50 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-20094 I had the scare of my life in Lower Bavaria a few weeks ago. I slipped on ice and fell unconscious. It was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I wasn't found for three hours. Needless to say I had hypothermia and some cuts and bruises. I had no insurance, and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Regensburg. I stayed a total of about six hours at the hospital, and the bill for that was only about $350. It was the airlifting that was a killer bill. About $1,500, and then more for the ambulance and the doctor. But all in all, WAY less than I would have to pay here in the U.S. And the treatment was fair and honest. It was sad to have to pay so much for a silly accident, but the German Health Care system is so great, and it would have been about $20,000 had it happened here. I had the scare of my life in Lower Bavaria a few weeks ago. I slipped on ice and fell unconscious. It was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I wasn’t found for three hours. Needless to say I had hypothermia and some cuts and bruises. I had no insurance, and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Regensburg. I stayed a total of about six hours at the hospital, and the bill for that was only about $350. It was the airlifting that was a killer bill. About $1,500, and then more for the ambulance and the doctor. But all in all, WAY less than I would have to pay here in the U.S. And the treatment was fair and honest. It was sad to have to pay so much for a silly accident, but the German Health Care system is so great, and it would have been about $20,000 had it happened here.

]]> By: Robin Morrison http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-14625 Robin Morrison Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:41:16 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-14625 Dear Christina, I am confused. I am reading how amazing healthcare is in Germany, yet I recieved an email today from an old friend living in Kassel. She is German, most likely a citizen. She informed me in the email that I probably won't be hearing from her in the future due to kidney failure and not being able to afford a transplant or even dialysis. She said she only has a few weeks that she is expected to live. How can this be? Could you please help me to understand how this is possible. I am unable to reach my friend to ask her myself, so I am hoping you can help me and most importantly, help my friend. Thank you for your time, Robin Morrison Dear Christina,

I am confused. I am reading how amazing healthcare is in Germany, yet I recieved an email today from an old friend living in Kassel. She is German, most likely a citizen. She informed me in the email that I probably won’t be hearing from her in the future due to kidney failure and not being able to afford a transplant or even dialysis. She said she only has a few weeks that she is expected to live. How can this be? Could you please help me to understand how this is possible.
I am unable to reach my friend to ask her myself, so I am hoping you can help me and most importantly, help my friend.
Thank you for your time, Robin Morrison

]]> By: Bryan http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13498 Bryan Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:41:10 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13498 Thank you for publishing your opinins and making an effort to inform about the reality of healthcare outside the media world. I lived outside of the US for the past five years and it really opened my eyes to so much. I can now see both the great and the bad things about the USA, and no country is perfect. Health care is a growing concern for me after having lived in Japan for 5 years. I had private insurance the whole time, but the public option was available at all times for only slightly more than what I paid for private insurance. Even for uninsured procedures such as child bith, I was looking at US $15,000 in America vs. US $6,000 in Japan, and that is without the reimbursements the government of Japan is offering now due to the population nose-dive. Health care even without insurance in Japan is so much more affordable than anything in the USA. I'm in Charleston (SC) right now, and though my quality of life is better overall than what I and my family experienced in Japan (work and private life balance), health insurance is a major concern for me and my family. My wife is a Japanese national and my son has dual citizenship, and I sleep better knowing that as citizens of a country that has public health insurance, at least they will be OK at the end of the day. I worry though that if I "take a fall", I won't be able to support them any longer. Such is life in the USA though, at least for a new father like myself who is dependent on employer provided health care. If only I could become a public servant!!! .-= Bryan´s last blog ..<a href="http://gaoshancha.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/aerial-views-of-north-korea/" rel="nofollow">Aerial views of North Korea</a> =-. Thank you for publishing your opinins and making an effort to inform about the reality of healthcare outside the media world. I lived outside of the US for the past five years and it really opened my eyes to so much. I can now see both the great and the bad things about the USA, and no country is perfect.

Health care is a growing concern for me after having lived in Japan for 5 years. I had private insurance the whole time, but the public option was available at all times for only slightly more than what I paid for private insurance. Even for uninsured procedures such as child bith, I was looking at US $15,000 in America vs. US $6,000 in Japan, and that is without the reimbursements the government of Japan is offering now due to the population nose-dive. Health care even without insurance in Japan is so much more affordable than anything in the USA.

I’m in Charleston (SC) right now, and though my quality of life is better overall than what I and my family experienced in Japan (work and private life balance), health insurance is a major concern for me and my family. My wife is a Japanese national and my son has dual citizenship, and I sleep better knowing that as citizens of a country that has public health insurance, at least they will be OK at the end of the day. I worry though that if I “take a fall”, I won’t be able to support them any longer. Such is life in the USA though, at least for a new father like myself who is dependent on employer provided health care. If only I could become a public servant!!!
.-= Bryan´s last blog ..Aerial views of North Korea =-.

]]> By: Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13275 Christina Geyer Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:29:46 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13275 @yelli: I hadn't heard about that. I'll have to look into it some and maybe update my article. That NYT article is really fascinating. I hadn't seen it, I wonder if many in the US have. @yelli: I hadn’t heard about that. I’ll have to look into it some and maybe update my article. That NYT article is really fascinating. I hadn’t seen it, I wonder if many in the US have.

]]> By: Yelli http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13241 Yelli Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:05:12 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13241 @christina - We knew before we got here we were not eligible. I didn't look @ the fine print! My fault. However, many people come into this situation unaware or with pre-existing conditions and can't qualify. On another note, did you see this article about public insurance in SF? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/opinion/22dow.html?_r=1 .-= Yelli´s last blog ..<a href="http://50percentdna.blogspot.com/2009/08/funny-foto-freitag-special-heat-edition.html" rel="nofollow">Funny Foto Freitag - special heat edition</a> =-. @christina – We knew before we got here we were not eligible. I didn’t look @ the fine print! My fault. However, many people come into this situation unaware or with pre-existing conditions and can’t qualify.

On another note, did you see this article about public insurance in SF?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/opinion/22dow.html?_r=1
.-= Yelli´s last blog ..Funny Foto Freitag – special heat edition =-.

]]> By: Christina Geyer http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13171 Christina Geyer Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:19:25 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13171 @isabella: Thanks! @yelli: I think that if you have a German contract, it shouldn't be a problem, that's how I started out and I had no issues whatsoever getting German insurance. I think if you have a temporary or expat contract, you need to look carefully at what it says about healthcare. Try to get into the German system if you can. @rhona: Definitely check carefully on the health insurance. @isabella: Thanks!

@yelli: I think that if you have a German contract, it shouldn’t be a problem, that’s how I started out and I had no issues whatsoever getting German insurance. I think if you have a temporary or expat contract, you need to look carefully at what it says about healthcare. Try to get into the German system if you can.

@rhona: Definitely check carefully on the health insurance.

]]> By: Rhona http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13157 Rhona Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:40:22 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13157 Ok, now I just read Yelli's comment. I think (am almost 100% certain) my employer will ensure I am covered but it is something for me to absolutely make sure of once I decide to move over. .-= Rhona´s last blog ..<a href="http://251319.blogspot.com/2009/08/things-for-sale-and-packing.html" rel="nofollow">Things for sale and packing</a> =-. Ok, now I just read Yelli’s comment. I think (am almost 100% certain) my employer will ensure I am covered but it is something for me to absolutely make sure of once I decide to move over.
.-= Rhona´s last blog ..Things for sale and packing =-.

]]> By: Rhona http://www.amiexpat.com/2009/08/20/more-real-experiences-with-the-german-health-care-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-13156 Rhona Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:35:27 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/?p=1829#comment-13156 Wow, very interesting points on the Germany health care system. Sounds very similar to Canadian system (which I am grateful for on a daily basis). I can now rest assure that if/when I move back to DE, getting sick will not be a big issue. No offense but....American HC sounds pretty bad. I dont want ot offend anyone but.....it makes me very sad to read about the lack of assistance the people receive. .-= Rhona´s last blog ..<a href="http://251319.blogspot.com/2009/08/things-for-sale-and-packing.html" rel="nofollow">Things for sale and packing</a> =-. Wow, very interesting points on the Germany health care system. Sounds very similar to Canadian system (which I am grateful for on a daily basis). I can now rest assure that if/when I move back to DE, getting sick will not be a big issue.
No offense but….American HC sounds pretty bad. I dont want ot offend anyone but…..it makes me very sad to read about the lack of assistance the people receive.
.-= Rhona´s last blog ..Things for sale and packing =-.

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