Private health care system
Introduction
When examining the private health care insurers and the system in general you also have take into account the benefits of a public system which may have the potential to be run at much lower cost.
Health Insurance in Germany
There are two different approaches in Germany: The public and the private health insurance system. The public one is mandatory for every employee, for every student, for everyone who draws public funds like unemployment benefits, child benefits or pension and certain relatives of compulsory insured people. This mandatory insurance is part of the public health system which is responsible to care for their client’s health in every level. No matter if the citizen had an accident or if he is chronically ill. Health care is also there to maintain and help you sustain a healthy lifestyle, after all healthy people don’t require as much medical attention.
Public insurance which covers 87% of the German population, some 13% are also privately insured to get improved services in this area. Having both insurances is not rare but unusual because the private insurance is designed for those people who are not mandatory public insured, those citizens who have an income which is that high that it exceeds a certain limit, this limit is at 48.600 EUR. Also some government and self-employed individuals need private insurance, but government employees may receive benefits.
The two most important advantages of private insurance are the increased benefits - logically fees vary from person to person and the particular unique requirements and needs. On the other hand basic public support provides basic universal coverage.
American System
The United States household insurance system which includes an adapted package for every group of people, the US health insurance is furthermore the stepchild in their insurance system. In 2009 more than 47 Million people in the US were uninsured, which is a sixth of the population. Compared to other western countries this is a high percentage, you would assume that in such a developed country more people would be covered.
US president Barack Obama wants to reform the catastrophic American health system. It is a fact that the, actually not existing, health system is a big problem for all immigrants who think about living in the USA, but this missing safeguarding is a clear reason to refrain from these plans. Therefore Obama wants to initiate a health system reform which would free the USA from the massive short comings in the health system. Obama is the first president who cares about this important issue and he also wishes to be the last president who has to care about it, as he stated in this speech on 9th September 2009 addressing health care reform at congress.
Changes in Health Care
It appears that president Barack Obama was successful, congress voted to pass the bill and thus freeing the path for a new era in health care reform in the United States, Obama would later refer to this as an historic event. However it was a close call (220 to 215) votes.
The Republican Party made it hard for the president to push his reform plans through congress. This is an important step for Barrack Obama since it was one of his key issues during his presidential campaign.
You have to be cautious, even if the bill has passed, it is to be observed if the set goals are met and more importantly only time will tell if it was the right move to improve the current system. Liberty and freedom is praised in the US like in no other country and for this alone every American should have the right and access to health care and not be rejected because of a pre-existing condition or other reasons that don’t fit in the profit seeking ideology of private health care corporations.