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Subject: healthcare

Author:
Heaves

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Date Posted: 08:07:06 10/09/12 Tue

It's complicated but I'll try to make the explanation quick and easy.

1) There is free healthcare for the poor. I'm not poor according to German standards.
2) Healthcare in some form is mandatory.
3) The public (gov't) healthcare option is mandatory for those that earn less than 50,000 euro.
4) Above 50,000, you are allowed to opt out of the public healthcare, and select private healthcare (what I did). But once you opt out, it's difficult to get back in for fear of "gaming" the system. This is because private healthcare is cheaper than the public when you are young, but more expensive when you are old. This is to prevent people jumping ship and going to public when you get to that intersecting cost point.
5)For private, there are rewards for claim free years. The reward also increase for each consecutive claim free year. Keeping that in mind, there is a deductible (e.g., 400 euro) before insurance will start picking up the tab. So at the very least, you have to exceed that deductible before it makes sense to make a claim. Otherwise, you forfeit your claim free reward for the year for nothing since you would be paying the deductible anyways. Next, before making a claim, you have to consider if your expenses exceed your claim free reward. A typical claim free reward is 1500 euro. So even though your bills might be 1000 euro, you will still come out ahead when you get your reward. And lastly, you have to consider what you are giving up the following year...the increase in reward for the subsequent claim free reward, which, for example, could be 1700-1800 euro. So, even though your expenses might be 1600 euro, you have to consider what you would get back this year (e.g., 1500) and what you are giving up the following year (the reward increase).
6)You have until the end of the year to submit claims. So you can wait until the end of the year to see what your total in medical expenses were.
7)I have an insurance agent advising me on this, so I'm just waiting to see what he says.

So, long story short, I haven't submitted any claims yet, but I will probably get to that point. The thing that probably tipped the scale are the recent schedule of injections. I haven't received any bills for those yet, but I imagine they are not cheap. On the other hand, care is cheaper here than in the US. On the other other hand, ibuprofin is super expensive here (e.g., 20 400mg pills for 10 euro v. 500 200mg pills for 10 dollars), so who knows what other medicines cost. For that reason, Ibuprofin/Advil is certainly on our list of requested items (i.e., accommodation fee) when visitors visit.

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