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 Steve King

Steve King is the Executive Director of the Oakland Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing land, housing, and other community-serving real estate assets from the speculative market and stewarding them with, and for the permanent benefit of,...

Conversation with Cassandra Ferrera

Through the work of ethical land transitions, Cassandra works to transform conventional real estate practice in service to Land, cultural reunion, and reparative justice. Becoming a person of place is Cassandra’s orienting cosmology, and her activist real estate career is...

Conversation with Mafah Cornelius Kuta

Mafah Cornelius Kuta is a regenerative farmer and former principal in Cameroon. Mafah’s goal is to create and establish a regenerative agriculture school and regenerative agriculture movement by equipping farmers to regenerate land within culturally relevant and ecologically-appropriate contexts. Mafah...

Less is more: Lithuanian company’s experiment with shorter working hours

From Domantė Platūkytė / LRT: A company in Lithuania cut back the work day from eight to six hours and noted an increase in morale without any negative impact on productivity. Employees reported a better work-life balance, reducing their stress...

Conversation with Ledama Masidza

Ledama Masidza is an emerging young Kenyan leader in marine conservation and community empowerment, fueled by an unwavering love for the ocean. Advocating for sustainability, Ledama drives transformative initiatives that champion community-led conservation and sustainable policies. Ledama Masidza spoke with...

Organizing to Cancel Debt Fuels Systemic Change

From Cinnamon Janzer / Yes! Magazine: Occupy Wall Street ignited today’s debt cancellation movement. Groups like the Debt Collective are winning victories, canceling predatory student debt and pushing systemic reforms like tuition-free college. Though incremental, these changes are rewriting policy...