preview

Universal Health Care System: Germany's Universal Healthcare System

Decent Essays

What lies beneath one of the world’s oldest universal healthcare systems? In Germany, a dual health care system comprised of a public network “Statutory Health” for persons making less than 49,500 euros and a private network for persons earning over 49,500 euros as an option. (Clark 1). According to a Business Insider article “Approximately 90% of its residents use the universal health care system the other 10% use the private system. Frankfurt’s medical system is comprised by a number of modern hospitals and medical clinics. The city has an overall quality of life ranking off seven according to the international study conducted by Mercer. Mercer conducts its Quality of Living survey annually to help multinational companies and other employers …show more content…

Germany’s ageing population will be a strain on the healthcare system as the youth population declines. The problem is replacing the younger generation to pay for the countries public healthcare system. Due to a decrease in revenue caused by an ageing population and decreasing birth rates, the healthcare system was subject to a wide reform in 2010 with a new law, GKV-Finanzierungsgesetz, dedicated to reorganizing the financing of the health system. (AngloINFO Limited. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015) The percentage of Germans under 15 is forecast to fall to 13 per cent, among the worlds lowest. The share of those over 60 is expected to rise from 27 per cent to 39 per cent. (Wagstyl, …show more content…

Critics explain that Germany will benefit with an ethnic mix in order to continue prosperity. In relation to the Syrian refugee crisis Frankfurt will be taking in thousands of refugees as thy will be dispersed in various German cities by the end of 2015. Germany expects 800,000 asylum seekers this year (Wagstyl, Stefan) . The refugees may pose a burden on Frankfurt’s health system as many of the refugees entering Germany have mental conditions like PTSD with the horrors they witnessed in their home countries and the traveling the long journey making it to Germany. (Migrant Crisis ) In addition to infectious diseases like TB, and with the onset of winter approaching influenza cases may rise

Get Access