Healthcare in America — The Next Conversation Part 2C — The German Model: Regulated Multi-Payer Healthcare – Video

Part 2C — The German Model: Regulated Multi-Payer Healthcare

When most Americans hear the phrase “government healthcare,” they often picture one thing: a government program that collects the money, owns the hospitals, employs the doctors, and makes the decisions.

Germany challenges that assumption.

Germany’s healthcare system is not socialized medicine in the traditional sense. The government does not own the healthcare system, it does not employ most doctors, and it is not the single entity paying every medical bill.

Instead, Germany uses what is called a regulated multi-payer system.

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When Americans debate “healthcare for all,” Germany reminds us that the debate is not simply a choice between government healthcare and private healthcare.

There are many possible designs.

The real questions become:

• Who pays?

• Who provides the care?

• Who sets the rules?

• Who takes the financial risk?

• How much choice should patients have?

• How much responsibility belongs to government, and how much belongs to the private sector?

Those questions will become increasingly important as we look at the other models.

You will find a handy table in the accompanying text

Comparison Reference: German Model