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Healthcare in Germany and France

Introduction

Health is one of the most crucial and fundamental aspects for any country. It is evident that almost every other fundamental aspect is pegged on health. This explains why every country lays emphasis on the healthcare infrastructure and system. However, there are variations as to the healthcare systems of different countries. Two countries that stand out as far as healthcare is concerned include Germany and France.

Elements of Germany’s health care system

Germany incorporates one of the most successful, universal healthcare systems in the world. This system has been in place for close to 130 years, yet it still stands as one of the most successful and incredible in the entire world. However, it undoubtedly needs some reforms with some elements being refined and others remaining.

One of the things that should remain intact is the source of funding. The German healthcare derives its funding from public, as well as private sources. Employers are recognized as providing the largest percentage of funding for healthcare through paying into one of the numerous sickness funds that offer healthcare funding for the employees. This ensures that almost every German has access to healthcare, thereby safeguarding the health of the entire nation.

In addition, the diversity of hospital ownership should remain intact. The public sector retains the highest percentage at 54% of hospital beds, while nonprofit, private organizations take up about 38%. The remaining 8% is owned by private for-profit organizations. This encourages competition, in which case these institutions are constantly making efforts to raise the quality and standard of healthcare services.

However, I would wish to improve access of healthcare to the unemployed. It is worth noting that Germany’s healthcare system is employment-based. People who have never worked, such as homeless people, divorced housewives and asylum seekers, do not have the capacity to join the national insurance. These constitute about 1.5 percent of the entire population. They are, however, entitled to receiving welfare benefits. They get a booklet of coupons for each calendar quarter. These coupons entitle the individual to medical treatment in the course of that period. However, it would be preferable to allow them to join insurance programs as that allows them to pay for their healthcare irrespective of the specialty. In addition, there is the discrepancy between the privately insured people and everyone else. This means that rich always get better healthcare than the poor, something that should not be happening in the socialist Germany. In essence, it is imperative that the government ensures that there is a standard quality of healthcare services for all people irrespective of their class or economic status.

In the movie “Sicko” (not required viewing), Michael Moore describes France as the most ‘effective providers of universal health care’—do you agree or disagree and why?

France has been ranked as incorporating one of the best systems of healthcare in the world. In fact, a study conducted in 2000 rates France the first as far as the excellence of healthcare systems is concerned. While there may be divergent views about this aspect, I would agree that France is the most effective provider of universal healthcare.

First, it is worth noting that France healthcare is funded from private insurance and public (government) insurance. Most people in France get healthcare insurance through their employers. Every person in France has healthcare insurance. The difference between France and many other countries is the fact that, it does not have any waiting list as far as seeing a specialist or getting elective surgery is concerned. This makes it the most effective systems in the world.

In addition, France acknowledges the importance of personal choice despite valuing universal coverage. France’s healthcare system is set up to ensure that all patients have numerous choices as to specialists and doctors. In addition, their doctors are not limited in making medical decisions. Income and payroll taxes fund most of the national insurance programs, whose payments are channeled to the varied quasipublic insurance funds. These then negotiate on doctors’ fees with the medical unions. Doctors have the choice of working in or outside this system. Most hospital fees are regulated by the government, a system that works to keep the costs down.

In addition, France places its priority on the sickest people. In France, sicker people get relatively more coverage than their counterparts. In fact, people suffering from one of the 30 expensive and long term illnesses such as cancer, mental illness and diabetes have 100% of their healthcare expenses including drugs, therapies and surgeries taken up by the government. The high access ensures that healthcare is not only available to all but also extremely cost-effective.