Germany Healthcare System – What you should Know

Germany Healthcare System at a Glance. The essential things everyone ought to know

Solidarity
Transparency and efficiency
Instant treatment access by beneficiaries
Financing from employers and employees
Liberty to choose from different hospitals and private providers

Introduction to the German Healthcare system

One of the oldest healthcare systems around the world is the German Healthcare System which dates back to as far as1880s.

Despite the long-standing system in the medical world, today, it’s still one of the best healthcare out there, all thanks to the nation’s level of investments in specialists and facilities.

Funded by statutory contributions, the German health protection system ensures free health maintenance for all.

The system gives a ton of choices to the people in terms of treatments. This is one of the major reasons why the country was ranked 12th on the 2018 Euro Health Consumer Index.

German’s Healthcare Accessibility

If you are a resident of Germany, then you’re qualified to access health maintenance through health insurance in the country. As for the non-resident, there’s a need to have private coverage to access this health protection service.

If you’re just a temporary visitor in Germany, there’s no problem as all you need to do is pay for the treatment, and then claim the reimbursement later.

Are you coming from the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland and staying only in the nation for some time?

Then you may use the EHIC card. However, the moment you turn into an official resident, it’s compulsory to take out German health insurance.

Health Insurance in Germany

An employee who earns not more than €57,600 in a calendar year needs to take part in the government health scheme known as the Gesetzliche Krankenversicherun (GKV).

The sooner you take out the health insurance once you’ve completed the modalities of your new work, the better.

You should know about GKV because it is administered around 110 Krankenkassen, which needs to be charged the same rate of 14.6% of the eligible gross salary.

This amount is divided between you and your employer, and you must ensure you stay at least 18 months with a Krankenkasse. When the time is up, you can switch to another government scheme.

Another thing about the GKV is that you can only pay the contributions if you earn more than €850 per month.

This amount takes care of your primary care with the registered doctors and hospital treatments. It also covers basic dental treatment as you don’t have to pay any amount to get your teeth checked and treated.

What the GKV doesn’t cover is your consultations with private medical personnel and private rooms in hospitals. Furthermore, if you want special services such as complementary treatments, dental implants, and glasses for adults, the scheme doesn’t cover that; you’ve to make provisions for that separately.

Important Things to Know about Germany Hospitals and Doctors

Here are a few things you need to know about hospitals and doctors in Germany:

Premium Healthcare

One of the things that have outlived the German healthcare system is the quality of the service delivery.

The system emphasizes the quality of the health protection it offers people, and that has stood the test of time. So, it’s right to state that patients are always at safer hands once they step into any German hospital.

Honesty

You get to experience the real definition of honesty when you visit any German hospital due to the country’s strict laws against corruption.

If you are a patient in any clinic in Germany, rest assured you’re going to be treated with so much transparency, respect, and honesty.

It’s important to also note that the doctors will not lie about the situation of things with the patients; if you have a major health challenge, they come open right off the bat without hiding any details.

So it’s important the family members always discuss beforehand with the medical personnel on duty if there’s a need not to reveal the results of the diagnosis to the patients due to depression or overreacting as these doctors are trained to always hit the nail of the head.

Unlimited Questions

Another important thing to know about the healthcare system in Germany is that the doctors are legally allowed to explain every bit of detail to the patients about the treatments they are to receive.

This point corroborates the last one, and so, the patients are always required to sign a consent form before any medical procedure is carried out.

The medical team will have the opportunity to ask your series of questions. Though this may seem overwhelming for some patients, it’s one the best things the doctors know for as it’s required to establish facts before any treatments are recommended.

Efficiency

The efficiency with which every sector of Germany handles things also applies to the healthcare sector. It’s pretty efficient and has been recognized throughout the world.

The idea and goal of every clinic in the nation is to offer timely health protection support in terms of diagnosis and treatments to ensure patients go home as soon as possible.

The idea is to save patients money, and unnecessary time they might have to use when still at the hospital. Hence, the doctors handle patients very timely and efficiently to ensure this is the case.

Germany’s healthcare system is one of the best globally, and this reputation has never for once declined due to the level of investment the government continues to make to ensure its sustainability.

The health treatment system provides a ton of choices for patients, extensive coverage, coupled with efficient medical care.

What are your thoughts about the German healthcare System? Kindly share them in the comment section below!

Conclusion on the German healthcare system

I am confident you now know about Germany’s healthcare system. Germany operates a universal multi-payer health care system that encompasses both statutory health insurance as well as private health insurance for those who earn more and choose to purchase their own as explained earlier.

Amidst the positive remarks about the healthcare system in Germany, there are also different challenges in the healthcare system that need improvement.

We are open to recommendations, commendations, and suggestions. kindly air your view in the comment box below.