LurkerJ said:
Curious as to why you had to be privately insured in a country like Germany? I know some have private insurance here in the UK but it just means it's one for them to access health services faster as the public sector is naturally strained. However, Boris expanded spendings accelerated hiring of foreign doctors and nurses to unprecedent degrees, so in a decade or so (once those doctors finish their training), the private insurance will be less enticing? maybe. But yeah, curious to hear your take. |
We civil servants in Germany have a special status that's not comparable to any other country. We have reduced constitutional rights compared to other workers but also benefits in other areas.
One benefit is that we don't have to pay social security contributions for unemployment (because we generally can't be laid off) or pension scheme (because we get a special kind of state pension). Furthermore, the state pays for 50% (70% if you have at least two children) of our health insurance. So we only have to cover the remaining 50% (or 30%). We then have the option to choose between private or public health insurance (most people in the private sector can't choose because they must earn high wages in order to be able to get into private health insurance). Most of the time, private health insurance is beneficial to us, as the monthly rates are based on your individual state of health (and age) and not as a percentage of your income.
