What Germany’s Coal Miners Can Teach America About Medical Debt

From Noam N. Levey / KFF Health News: Germany, like the U.S., has a largely private healthcare system that relies on private doctors and private insurers. Like Americans, many Germans enroll in a health plan through work, splitting the cost with their employer. But Germany strictly limits how much patients have to pay out of their own pockets for a trip to the doctor, the hospital, or the pharmacy, making medical debt practically nonexistent.

Read the original story here.

Read more articles on healthcare systems related to wellbeing.

Issue Areas:

Employee Wellbeing, Medical Debt

Impact Areas:

Equity, Health and Wellness

Actors:

Government, Healthcare Organizations

Communities Served:

Workers

Strategies:

Easing Economic Burdens for Individuals

Success Factors:

Eliminating Barriers, Expanding Access, Help Rather Than Punishment, Meeting People Where They Are At, Overcoming the Big Challenges

Geographic Region:

Europe

Countries:

Germany

Date:

December 14, 2022

More Resources:

Conversation with Dr. Neil Vora

Neil Vora, MD, is the senior advisor for One Health at Conservation International. He has also served for nearly a decade with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer and a...

Conversation with Rosalinda Natividad

Rosalinda Natividad is the Founder and CEO of Incite Network, which empowers change-makers along the U.S.-Mexico border by securing grant funding and supporting strategic planning for equitable community impact. She leads efforts to amplify the work of underfunded organizations, driving...

Chicago Youth Help Decide Where Public Funds Go

From Martín Xavi Macías / NextCity: Chicago is asking its citizens, including youth, to help determine how to spend public money. Participatory budgeting involves communities identifying their greatest needs and guiding spending toward solutions. Read the original story here. Read...

It’s more than just cash’: Young Seoulites navigate future with city’s youth allowance program

From Lee Suh-yoon / The Korea Times: The Youth Allowance Program in Seoul gives lower to middle-class residents (aged 19 to 34) a monthly stipend of 500,000 won ($418) for up to six months to ease the financial burden of...

Conversation with Ted Rau

Passionate about transforming how organizations operate, Ted Rau specializes in sociocracy and governance systems that empower collective intelligence and foster meaningful collaboration. As the co-founder of Sociocracy For All and the Governance Lead at Dark Matter Labs, his work focuses...

Conversation with Caroline Sinders

Caroline Sinders is a machine-learning-design researcher and artist. For the past few years, she has been examining the intersections of technology’s impact in society, interface design, artificial intelligence, abuse, and politics in digital, conversational spaces. Sinders is the founder of...