the magic of the krankenversicherungkarte
for all my whining about life here in germany, there are actually a lot of perks. education is free, sometimes even until post-graduate. social security is (still) reliable. the train arrives on time (ok, most of the time).
but perhaps one of the things that i can kiss the land underneath my feet for is the healthcare system. it simply works.
last weekend found us in the emergency room. we were attended to in 2 minutes. medical insurance card out, and after 15 minutes were consulting with the attending pediatrician. we were given prescriptions to bring to the pharmacy. give prescription, take medicines.
yesterday, jan and i went for a check up with his regular pedia. card out, and about an hour later we were at the pharmacy, exchanging the prescription slip for an inhaler, some solutions and a bottle of antibiotic.
at no point did we need cash. not a single cent.
afterall, isn’t that the principle of medical insurance? you pay monthly premiums so that in times of need, you don’t have to anymore? germany has probably one of the most comprehensive coverage, and i’m not even talking about private insurances. what we have is the “public” insurance, which even the unemployed and those on social welfare get (you can’t pay for it? no problem, state pays for it!). as long as you have prescription, you just pay a maximum of €5 at the pharmacy, irregardless of your total expenses. and with children, even that €5 is waived. you pay nothing. zilch. nada. zero.
of all the plastic in my purse, my health insurance card weaves the most magic.
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14 Responses to “the magic of the krankenversicherungkarte”
May 16th, 2006 at
that’s what i love about Germany. kahit pa fully-covered kami sa military, sinasamantala ko ang perks ng aking German health insurance. walang kahassle-hassle.
May 16th, 2006 at
I have public insurance pero I shudder at the thought of how much they are getting from me, every single month!!! arggghhh.. and the coverage is getting less and less.
Yun nga lang, when it comes to kids’ coverage, mas okay.
May 16th, 2006 at
ay basta ako, di ko pa din ma-gets yung “selbstbeteiligung” na yon, sa laki ng monthly namin…hehe bitter pa din daw
siguro nga may advantage/s kung private but we weren’t able to use it (which, i’m thankful that we didn’t)
May 16th, 2006 at
not comparable, Justice.
May 17th, 2006 at
we have private health insurance here, and what irks me is we still have to pay “co-pay” on top of our monthly payments. if we rely naman on public health, service is lousy.
i hope jan is feeling better
May 17th, 2006 at
no. not comparing…just plain bitter for the lack of understanding of how it really worked.
May 17th, 2006 at
rhada: hassle free talaga. i love it that we don’t even get to see the bill or do any other paperwork. galing, no?
AnP: you’re right. and as self-employed, it’s like i also have to pay the employer’s share, so it really hurts. but at least, it works when you eventually need it. the coverage is indeed getting less, especially sa dental, but i think it’s still fair. and in comparison to other countries, we’re still amply covered. what am not sure about is this plan they have of sharing your medical info in a centralized data center. smells big brother-ish.
justice: i’m sure private insurances had their advantages, and you were able to use some, like no waiting time, chefartz, etc…
meeyagirl: yeah, that’s the same here in germany, for those on private insurance. but the public insurance we have, i really can’t complain.
May 17th, 2006 at
big-brotherish - hahaha true!!!
May 18th, 2006 at
it’s the same thing here in canada. our public health system is so far okay based on my experience (altho some people won’t agree with this.) i went through a lot of blood tests and doctor consultations without paying a cent. the prescriptions are not covered though but if you are employed, the company covers it. we don’t pay any monthly premiums. our taxes pay for it.
May 20th, 2006 at
ruth! off topic..ive finally found you..hehe..geez,had to blog hop here and there to look for ur new url..searched it at berks mail but didn’t come out..got it at pinayhekmi’s..
nice to know you are doin fine..
May 20th, 2006 at
it’s the same system here in france..but as what AnP said, it hurts in the pocket each time i see that monthly deduction on my payslip…anyways..at least i know where my taxes go..
May 22nd, 2006 at
misis14: isn’t that great? one thing less to think about when one is sick, at least!
sachiko: haha, good to know you found me. i’ve also updated my link to your blog.
analyse: oh yeah, i’ve read a bit about the french healthcare in “a year in the merde“. quite similar to the german system. have you read the book? great read!
July 3rd, 2006 at
i try to find something at google.com and take it on your site…thanks
April 17th, 2008 at
[…] if there’s one smart move we made before leaving germany, it was to sign up for the mawista health insurance. as i’ve blogged previously, the efficiency of the health care system in germany is something i have been very impressed with. as we were not sure what kind of health insurance we’d be getting here in singapore and how long the paperwork will take to get the family covered, we decided to sign up for a year’s coverage with mawista to bridge the gap. basically, it’s like a year long travel health insurance. […]