How Germany And South Korea Have Battled Coronavirus Better Than Others--a good Health Care system

[riversedge]

They also had the political will--which I argue was just as important.





How Germany And South Korea Have Battled Coronavirus Better Than Others
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/germany-south-korea-coronavirus-success

By DAVID RISING April 23, 2020 10:28 a.m.


BERLIN (AP) — Derided by many economists for years for insisting on a balanced budget and criticized for a health care system seen as bloated and overly expensive, Germany has found itself well equipped now to weather the coronavirus pandemic.

Already applauded for early actions such as social-distancing regulations and aggressive testing seen as helping keep the death toll comparatively low, Europe’s largest economy has had the financial flexibility to launch a massive rescue plan to help businesses and keep workers paid.

As the country moves to relax some restrictions this week, Chancellor Angela Merkel is pointing to the example of South Korea, which relied on its experience fighting a different coronavirus five years ago to combat COVID-19, as the way forward.

Meantime in the U.S., some protesters have taken to the streets — supported by President Donald Trump’s tweets — to demand an end to virus-related shutdowns to help the faltering economy, which has caused tens of millions to lose their jobs, even if it could lead to an increase in deaths as the health care system struggles.

“This is a crisis which, on the one hand, has probably hit the U.S. where it is most vulnerable, namely health care,” said Carsten Brzeski, ING bank’s chief Eurozone economist. “While at the same time it has hit the German economy where it’s the strongest.”......................



.................“They had the means, but then they also had the political will, and also the very good analytical insights to use the means,” Brzeski, said, noting Merkel was a scientist before entering politics......................

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FILE - In this April 15, 2020, file photo, helper of the German Red Cross DRK in protective suit, left, takes a smear from a patient in his car during the official opening of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing center at t... MORE

[DetlefK]

1. Germany invented social health-insurance. In 1883.

Currently, Germany has a two-way health-insurance system:

* Mandatory public health-insurance, run by a network of tightly regulated non-profits, no check for pre-existing conditions, the benefits are mediocre.

* You may opt out public health-insurance and get a private health-insurance, run by corporations. Their plans are more expensive and they check for pre-existing conditions, but they offer WAY better benefits, as the insurance-corporations are competing with each other for the affluent customers. They can't sell cheap crappy plans 1. because of regulations, 2. because whatever cheap plan they could offer, the equivalent public plan already has better benefits due to not being forced to produce a profit.

Whether you choose a cheap public plan or a luxurious private plan, either way you are mandated by law to have ANY health-insurance. (If you can prove that you are too poor to even afford the cheapest public plan, the government will sign you up for it and pay for it.)

You get your health-insurance either on the state-level from one of the local non-profits, or you get it on the federal level from one of the insurance-corporations. None of that crap of insurance being tied to your job.