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Mohammed Alghulbi, Sehrish Khakwani, Jyotsna Muvva and Ramya TatikondaHS 600*70 (Winter16)CHRISTINE NOLLERDue date: 04-26-2016COUNTRY PAPER ON GERMANYS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Table of contentsIntroduction on Germanys healthcare systemDemographics & how Germanys Healthcare is FinancedPros / cons / trade-offs to their system compared to the United StatesHealth technology and IT processesQuality indicators i.e. infant mortalityGDP devoted to health care per capitaEffectiveness of measuring health care outcomesDoes the country support research and innovation?Access to careCross national comparisons of health careConclusion

INTRODUCTIONHealthcare in Germany is funded by a statutory contribution system Insurance payments are based on a percentage of incomeTwo types of heath insurance: Statutory and private schemesPatients pay for 10% of prescription drugsSince 2013, patients in Germany no longer have to pay a consultation fee

Pros And Cons / Trade-offs To Their System Compared To The United StatesGermany has managed to achieve control on cost.It involves a single payer system Greater financing and regulatory role for the federal governmentLess reliance on competition and universal access to medical care servicesGDP, US spends more on medical care than GermanyHigher quality of medical services in US and shorter waiting timesGerman patients enjoy free choice of provider

Pros:Germany has a universal coverageNegotiated between the sickness funds and the medical associationsPatients can freely choose among physiciansCare is financed through a payroll tax based on income Health care expenditures not rise faster than wagesHealth care costs within each fund are redistributed

Cons:Health care is administratively complex in GermanyPhysicians prescribe almost three times more drugsMore nursing homes are neededThere is no coordination between ambulatory care and hospital care

How is German Healthcare set up?Universal multi-payer system2 main types of healthcareKrankenversicherungKrankenkasse

Private Health InsuranceIncome below 46,300 ($52,087) - have to be insured under KrankenkasseIf income above $52,087, one can opt for private insurance

Private InsuranceMore in depth optionsCan choose plan which would most benefit oneIncreased variety of physicians & hospitals

FundingFederal Government decides budget at beginning of each calendar yearIndependent, non-profit, non-governmental bodiesPrivate insurance co-financed byemployers & employees

Healthcare InformationChildren under the age of 5 years underweight1.1% (2006)Health expenditures11.1% of GDP (2011)Physicians density3.69 physicians/1,000 population (2010)Hospital bed density8.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)Obesity - adult prevalence rate25.1% (2008)Life Expectancy at Birth:MalesFemales80.44 years78.15 years82.86 yearsPopulation over the age of 5535%

CONCLUSIONGermany manages to provide a health system that delivers universal health insurance Germans have longer life expectancies and lower infant mortality ratesGermans think that their health care systems need minor to moderate changesEach health care system is experiencing a continuous process of changesIt will be fascinating to observe the future developments