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:

What Kenya can teach its neighbors — and the US — about improving the lives of the “unbanked”

From Kelsey Piper / Vox: Mobile banking in Kenya has increased economic mobility for families living in poverty. The mobile money system is not connected to bank accounts, making it accessible to the overwhelming majority of Kenyans who don’t have...

Conversation with Eli Moore

Eli Moore is Director of the Community Power and Policy Partnerships Program (formerly the California Community Partnerships Program) at the Othering & Belonging Institute. Over the last twenty years, Eli has facilitated numerous participatory action research processes and published various...

Conversation with Friendly Vang-Johnson

Friendly Vang-Johnson manages Friendly Hmong Farms, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) social enterprise business, leveraging her 20+ years of experience in social justice work. Her understanding of the intersection between food sovereignty, land reparations, and racial justice was shaped by...

The Benefits of Greening Affordable Housing

From Erica Sweeny / Next City: The Denver-based Triple Bottom Line Foundation funds projects to retrofit low-income, multi-family properties that house underserved groups. The projects include energy-efficiency upgrades, solar power installations, and weatherization upgrades among others. Click here to read...

Conversation with Alexandra Quinn & Sue McCarron

Alexandra Quinn, CEO of Health Leads, has extensive experience in the non-profit and governmental sectors, focusing on equity, justice, education, and health. Her leadership builds on years of collaboration with healthcare systems, public health, and community partners nationwide. Health Leads...

Conversation with Delana Finlayson

Delana Finlayson leads Urban Think Tank Empower, a South African non-profit dedicated to socio-economic transformation through multidisciplinary projects. Notably, the Empower Khayelitsha project pioneers housing innovation approaches by integrating affordability, sustainability, and community engagement. Delana Finlayson spoke with Ashley Hopkinson...