ObamaCare’s Relentless Creation of Second-Class Citizens (5)

[HiPointDem]

90. Nor is the german system based on private health insurance:

Health insurance in Germany is split in several parts. The largest part of 85% of the population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute, formally insured under the legislation set with the Sozialgesetzbuch V (SGB V), which provides a standard level of coverage.

The remainder of 15% opt for private health insurance, which frequently offers additional benefits.

The government partially reimburses the costs for low-wage workers, whose premiums are capped at a predetermined value. Higher wage workers pay a premium based on their salary. They may also opt for private insurance. This may result in substantial savings for younger individuals in good health. With age and illness, private premiums will rise and the insured will usually cancel their private insurance, turning to the government option.,[9] however, this is not always possible, nor is it simple to accomplish.

All salaried employees must have public health insurance. Only public officers, self-employed people and employees with a large income, above c. €50,000.00 (adjusted yearly), may join the private system.

In the Public system the premium

= iis set by the Federal Ministry of Health based on a fixed set of covered services as described in the German Social Law (Sozialgesetzbuch – SGB), which limits those services to "economically viable, sufficient, necessary and meaningful services"

= is not dependent on an individual's health condition, but a percentage (currently 15.5%) of salaried income.

= includes family members of any family members, or "registered member" ( Familienversicherung – i.e., husband/wife and children are free)

= is a "pay as you go" system – there is no saving for an individual's higher health costs with rising age or existing conditions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_health_care_system


nor did the german system begin with everyone signing up with private insurers & 'evolve',

so i guess you really don't know what you're talking about.