Every time I read about the US health-care system it amazes me more (in a negative way).
The point that I find worrying the most is, that it is impossible to figure out the costs before you get treatment. Also I am surprised, that there are no prenegotiated rates for treatment-procedures. The way it works in Germany is, that there is a catalog which contains all the standard procedures and a price that can be charged for the treatment/procedure, this system dates back to 1924. While "upselling" (doctors performing tests that are not necessary) is pretty common, prices are quite reasonable. Actually there are two catalogs, one for private insured patients and people without insurance (its almost impossible to be uninsured in Germany) and another one for public insured, the later one is based on a points system rather than prices and is supposed to be an administrative nightmare for doctors.
This is not an administrative nightmare for doctors. They all have the software, put the insurance card in the slot, check the right cases and everything is immediately done. The real nightmare for doctors is the private insurances because they need to manage the invoicing themselves. But they get more money out of the privately insured, so they are doing it happily.
If you take the time to discuss with doctors (I have several friends who are doctors in Germany and my family is a doctor family in France) their life is really nice. Way more relaxed than any other engineer working for a company under standard pressure. The only ones who are pushed like any other worker in a company are the ones in hospitals.
The point that I find worrying the most is, that it is impossible to figure out the costs before you get treatment. Also I am surprised, that there are no prenegotiated rates for treatment-procedures. The way it works in Germany is, that there is a catalog which contains all the standard procedures and a price that can be charged for the treatment/procedure, this system dates back to 1924. While "upselling" (doctors performing tests that are not necessary) is pretty common, prices are quite reasonable. Actually there are two catalogs, one for private insured patients and people without insurance (its almost impossible to be uninsured in Germany) and another one for public insured, the later one is based on a points system rather than prices and is supposed to be an administrative nightmare for doctors.