alt Hacker NewsThis is such a misconception. There is no such thing as universal healthcare in Germany. Everyone pays for it as a mandatory percentage from their salaries every month as a health insurance fee. You can’t opt out from it and there is a very high barrier to switch to a private health insurance which can be cheaper if you’re young and healthy.
The fucked up part is that the higher your salary you end up paying more money to receive the same service as someone paying way less with a lowers salary. Think of it as one paying 5$ for Netflix and other paying 50$ to watch the same shows with no change in service offering.
Also, since covid times the health service has degraded significantly. You have to wait months to get an appointment for a specialist and also if you are single then you would be the one paying the most for it.
Further, from a 100k salary you take only 58k home (Single person that is Tax class I). Keep in mind 100k salary is not that common in Germany and only a handful of people earn that much. This site calculates the take home salary and taxes/social contributions. (https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/gehalt/gross_net_calcu...)
You between 25-30 vacation days and work time can be flexible depending on where you work.
I would say Germany is a good place if you’re married and have kids. Then you get a lot of subsidies from the government and it’s relatively cheap to raise children in Germany. But if you’re young and single, you will be punished for that will be taxed the most.
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That's what universal healthcare fundamentally is; everyone pays for it regardless of whether they use it or not, and regardless of the quality of service they receive in return.
What, did you think universal healthcare meant everything would be free? That's not possible; doctors and nurses don't work for free.
You can’t opt out from it
This is the part that makes it universal.
> Everyone pays for it as a mandatory percentage from their salaries every month as a health insurance fee. .... the higher your salary you end up paying more money to receive the same service
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this sounds exactly how almost all income taxes work.
> 5$ for Netflix and other paying 50$ to watch the same shows with no change in service offering.
Counterpoint -- you pay taxes to get the full benefits that a stable society provides, which includes your ability to make any income at all. The more income you earn, the more benefit you're literally getting.
> you’re young and single, you will be punished
Don't worry, it's impossible to stay young and single forever.
> I would say Germany is a good place if you’re married and have kids. Then you get a lot of subsidies from the government and it’s relatively cheap to raise children in Germany.
The number of newborns in germany last year was lowest since WW2. Seems like most germans don't agree with this assessment.
My siblings have covered most of your points, but I think one gets overlooked easily:
> Think of it as one paying 5$ for Netflix and other paying 50$ to watch the same shows with no change in service offering.
This used to be the norm before department stores made fixed price popular. People would haggle, and more wealthy people usually paid more because they couldn't be bothered to haggle as much.
> The fucked up part is that the higher your salary you end up paying more money to receive the same service as someone paying way less with a lowers salary.
That's basically how all progressive taxation works?
I hate to break it to you, but you have to wait for a specialist in US as well. Months is also a quite typical wait time.
And even if you're on a princely healthcare plan - you're still out several thousand dollars for an ER visit.
That is not "fucked up" it is called the solidarity principle. You contribute when you have the capacity to contribute, and society protects you when you happen to need more than you can afford. Netflix is a consumer product, and health insurance is risk pooling. You're treating health insurance as if you're buying healthcare services. You're not. You're buying protection against an uncertain financial risk.
Also you forgot the contribution assessment ceiling at €69,750/year.
However, Germany has a legitimate problem when contribution levels, service quality, and access aren't aligned with what people feel they're paying. That is a different discussion which needs much more nuance and intimate knowledge of the German healthcare system.