The Coalition Talk

Focus put up a piece this morning and discussed what be the 'nuke-request' for the SPD partnership in the coalition with the CDU. 

The suggestion?  Terminate the option for private health insurance in Germany.

It's not something that Americans typically grasp or understand about the German healthcare system.....but there are two tracks.  The first is a public system, which mandates if you make under a certain amount of money....you have no choice but to participate in the public system.  The second is a private health insurance system, which is an option if you make over the amount stipulated (typically over $50k USD).

How many Germans participate in the private option?  8.7-million....roughly 10-percent. 

The pricing? Well, here's the thing....if you sign up in your 20's....the private policy is cheaper than the public policy.  For maybe the first twenty years, it's that way. At age 60?  The private policy pricing scheme is usually hefty and a lot more than the public policy.

But you find a number of doctors and clinics (particularly private operations) that prefer dealing with the private health insurance deal.

The other plus here is that you can get into a private health insurance deal which covers only particular things, and lessen the cost involved. 

Why should the SPD push on this?  Well....it'd bring the general public cost factor down a notch if more people were forced into this particular path.  The 8.7-million people and their feelings?  I'm guessing a lot of them have particular private doctors and clinics....who prefer the present situation.  It would be curious to ask the 8.7-million about this but I'm taking a guess that few.....maybe very few....of them, are SPD-voters.  Typically, the more money you make in life as a German, the less likely that you are a SPD-voter.

Opening up a door that angers some folks?  Well, the health insurance companies who sell the private policies won't be happy.  I'm guessing some private doctors and clinics won't be happy.  Of the 8.7-million?  It's hard to say.  If the bulk of these people are unhappy....it likely affects the CDU vote pattern in both the Hessen and Bavaria voting episode coming up in 2018.