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 Alana Boone

Alana Boone is a Social Policy Officer for the city of Brugge in Belgium, Europe. She works on a local level on policies promoting preventative health, long-term care policies, and age-friendly cities. Alana Boone spoke with Ashley Hopkinson on April...

Conversation with Sarah Baird

Sarah M. Baird is an advocate for sustainable energy solutions as a means to reduce global energy poverty and mitigate climate change. As the founder and Executive Director of Let There Be Light International (LTBLI), she partners with local community...

Conversation with Jonathon Freeman

Jonathon Freeman is a founding member of the Native Roots Network, an Indigenous community development organization that, most notably, has curated and organized Our Story: Native Art Exhibitions, advocated for Indigenous cultural revitalization, the protection of Indigenous lands and sacred...

What one county agency is doing to keep its employees whole

From Cheryl Splain / Knox Pages: The Knox County Department of Job & Family Services has implemented a two-pronged approach to improve the wellbeing of employees. One addresses immediate needs through counseling and additional employee benefits and then a longer...

With no upfront costs, this innovative financing tool makes energy efficiency affordable to all

From Nate Berg / ENSIA: North Carolina’s Roanoke Electric Cooperative is helping members bring down energy costs. Because the energy costs in this area is due to a lack of energy efficiency, the cooperative offers tariffed on-billing to help homes...

Slowly but surely, Kigali city is reclaiming streets for people

From Nadia Lobti / The New Times: Twice a month the city of Kigali has a “Car Free Day,” a program that reduces air and noise pollution while simultaneously encouraging residents to be more active via walking, biking, and other...