Emergency Brain Surgery in Germany | My Mom’s Story

[@TypeAshton]

Hi Everyone! For those asking - Yes! My mom was wearing a helmet at the time of her initial cycling accident and the initial CT scan she had the week of her fall was clear. However, my mom wanted to express that a contributing factor to her injury might have been the flight to Germany. Although we can only speculate, as brain bleeds can sometimes be slow and often take days or weeks to accumulate. The moral of the story is always get your check up and wear your helmet! 😉

[@flower_power]

@@TypeAshton in the Netherlands almost nobody is wearing a helmet during bicycling. But our infrastructure is more friendly to bicycling. For older people, especially on a electric bike, it is recommended.

[@emilwandel]

She had a serious head injury despite wearing a helmet, how do you come to the conclusion the helmet is important. Clearly it didn't do well enough. The only helmets protecting you enough are motorbike helmets which would be impractical for cycling. The airbag helmets are also quite good protections for the whole head.

[@Janoxys]

i want to point out real quick that you not calling an ambulance baffled me. especially when your mom couldnt walk. due to her condition. its pretty much the reason they exist.

[@ashtonschottler9791]

@@emilwandelI look at it like wearing a seatbelt in a car or wearing a life jacket in a lake. They aren’t failure proof, but in her case could have prevented an even worse outcome, especially with e bikes.

[@ashtonschottler9791]

@@JanoxysI agree, in hindsight we should have. But at that time my parents were honestly just trying to get home as soon as possible. They had even rebooked a flight home the next day. The trip to the ER was initially just to give peace of mind for them to fly home until she could see her US physician. But I’m also certain that the US mentality of cost was a factor. An ambulance costs thousands in the US. And here they were, uninsured in Germany and anticipating similar costs without knowing.

[@grimmbartrides]

Reminds me of that meme about the cost of hip replacement in the US vs Spain: you could fly to Spain, get the surgery, live in Madrid for two years, learn Spanish, run with the bulls, get trampled, get another hip replacement, and fly home for less than what the procedure costs in the US. Anyway, someone else already said it, get travel health insurance, it costs like 6 bucks.

[@mellie4174]

The cheapest policy for my mom is 350 dollars! One that actually pays out is like 550. The problem is that they make everything a preexisting condition. So for example. My mom has high blood pressure. She's on treatment that keeps it under control. But, if she ever has a stroke, they will say it's due to BP and there's a preexisting condition. And therefore they won't pay.

[@Dutch1961]

@@mellie4174 that's why you need universal healthcare. It doesn't matter if you have a preexisting condition where I live. Health insurance companies are by law obliged to accept you, including your preexisting condition. I have a healthcare plan with a not for profit health insurance company. If there's any money left at the end of the year they use it to reduce the increase of the premium for next year.

[@grimmbartrides]

@@mellie4174 that sounds like a regular private health insurance, and yes, they tend to be frightfully expensive in any country. I'm talking about _travel_ health insurance, which only applies when you're not in your country of permanent residency. And that is really cheap. I have one that costs me €10,80 _per year_. I guess it's because they only expect to cover emergencies and accidents.

[@bastelwastel766]

Eine Reiseversicherun& zahlt nur Notfälle, keine vorher bekannten Krankheiten, die sind nicht doof.

[@grimmbartrides]

@@bastelwastel766 Ja natürlich aber genau darum geht es hier ja. Wenn du auf einmal im Hirn anfängst zu bluten ist das ein Notfall.

[@buciallstar]

As a German who lived in the US for 4 years and had quite the (small but diverse) medical journey through that time, the health insurance and medical system in the US unlocked new levels of fear and anxiety i didn't know i had.

[@michaelfrech4894]

I live in the US since 20 years and I know exactly what you are talking about. I usually go to Germany for medical checkups and pay out of pocket.

[@001looker]

Foreigner would have paid $0 in emergency.

[@h4m74ro]

​That sounds so absurd to my German ear. I mean, you are insured in your own country, aren't you?

[@001looker]

@@h4m74ro Insurance is personal choice. With exception of few states, heaving health insurance is not mandatory and there is no fine for not having it.

[@h4m74ro]

​@@001lookerI understand. It's a shame, because having universal health care is the only choice for a healthy society in my opinion. On a side note, I also find it absurd that a car/driver doesn't need an insurance in some states. You can produce an accident and the victim doesn't get paid for their damages... unbelievable...

[@dondraut1535]

Great episode, Ashton. Long story short- as an American living in Germany since the 80s, I can only echo your experience and sentiments. Had a stroke last year. After an ambulance ride, 3 days ICU, another 5 days in hospital, CRT, MRT, physical therapy which began in the hospital, and a subsequent 3 week successful stay in a specialized therapy clinic for stroke recovery, my total co-pay was 350 USD. Sure, I pay a few hundred a month for the social health insurance system here, but when you need medical help, anxiety about costs should not be added to the stressful situation. Love your content. All the best to you and your family!

[@TypeAshton]

I am so so glad to hear that you received great care and are recovering today. A stroke would be a terrifying experience to go through, and like you said - having to worry about cost on top of it all is ridiculous. One should focus on recovery not financing when it comes to health.

[@StevenKHarrison]

my wife, an Austrian had a similar experience and the bill after all was said and done was negligible. As an America, I have had operations, bones set, MRI, x-rays etc etc and never paid more the a few Euros for any of it. While we were working a premium was deducted from our salaries, a tax if you will, but now that we are retired we KNOW we'll never have a problem getting the care we need and that whatever the cost, our universal health care system will take the best possible care of us. This kind of peace of mind is priceless.

[@schumifannreins295]

"When you need medical help, anxiety about costs should not be added to the stressful situation." And thats why the U.S. system is so bad, inhuman and anti-social. People getting in debt 6 oder 7 figures after a procedure or wounded people jumping out of an ambulance, because they can't afford it. Fck that!

[@jorgmethfessel5774]

@@StevenKHarrison "This kind of peace of mind is priceless." on the point!

[@Zaubernudel]

Get well

[@sarahkeppler8043]

I am currently fighting a rare type of cancer. The kind of treatment i get is avilable in a hand full of places world wide. Berlin is one of them. Luckily i am German. Luckily my health insurance is paying thousends of Euros so i have a chance to win this fight. I am so greatful for all of this! Top notch specialists, imidiate treatment and i do not have to worry about mony!

[@mercury4722]

Wish you all the best, you‘ll win!

[@BaronDeConde]

Ich drücke dir die Daumen!

[@anjaneuber7381]

Cancer survivor who got treatment in Berlin in 2018 here. I am cured since 2019. You can do this!

[@pete2405]

Alles Gute !!!!!!!!!!

[@TBPKR]

Nicht aufgeben :)

[@arjansnoek7257]

Great to tell this story so open. It really shows how americans are drilled to think about cost first. When you told about dragging her down the stairs to get in to your own car, I was screaming 'Call the ambulance!'. Not being able to walk anymore is a medical emergency. And it shows how long it takes for you as americans to unlearn that.

[@conniebruckner8190]

I was thinking along the same lines: why didn't the call the ambulance, before the two men injure themselves -making some wrong move- without the proper equipment iow, an emergency folding chair.

[@MonkeyDRuffy82]

​@@conniebruckner8190I suspect because in the USA the ambulance costs extra again.

[@dieterth.48]

​@@MonkeyDRuffy82 IT can cost you thousands of $$$ If you are in a bad Spot because Most abulance Services are privat companies

[@Serenity_yt]

It's very typical for Americans to not call an ambulance although it would've also cost them ~800€ more so its not nothing. I think the only non resident American I've ever seen actually going to the ER by ambulance had shatterd their shoulder to pieces plus a heamothorax and I'm a Paramedic Student whos worked in a very touristy area for over 2 years by now.

[@Nithrade]

I now wonder what an ambulance costs without insurance in Germany.

[@tim10243]

In Germany we love to complain about how bad it is here. Listening to your story should make some people think about how lucky we are! I hope your mom don't need an emergency surgery like this again - neither here nor in the US!

[@andreaso8886]

Well, we do have great clinics. Freiburg is one of the prime examples. Also Munich. And more. But there are also bad ones. Never get caught in the ER in Oldenburg. I usually left sicker than I went into it. No, that's not fair. My grandma and my mom got taken care of very well in the other hospital here, so it really depends on where you go and who cares for you

[@alexanderkupke920]

Seeing those comparisons of health care systems across Europe with the US healthcare system, or the lack thereof, especially here on KZbin makes even the worst systems we have across Europe shine brightly. And to be fair, none is really bad. All have some issues of sorts, for sure non is perfect, and some that work in one place would work nowhere else.

[@setahr]

Thing is, that the situation worsens from year to year. Still way better then in the US, if you are lucky with the clinic and the meds. I had a friend who went to Usbekistan for treatment as her doctors in Germany totally failed her diagnosis. It nearly killed her.

[@dielizzy-ts2rv]

Kann ich genau so unterschreiben.

[@maurizioarrivabene8182]

Its not luck. We are paying a big amount of money and thats not enough, its getting topped up by more taxmoney. All while the medical personell is hugely underpaid, even the doctors

[@LalaDepala_00]

I'm Dutch and I have been in and out of the hospital both for myself and family members for the last 20+ years. I often think about what my life would have looked like living in the U.S. I think the answer is; a lot worse. Both parents had simple jobs, we never had a lot of money. In the U.S. I would have probably ended on the streets for multiple reasons. But in the Netherlands, despite all the health problems, me and my family can still have a good life. And everyone deserves that.

[@caoimhenimhuireadhaigh1303]

I'm Irish, and I've been incredibly ill since I was 15. I don't think I would still be here if I was relying on the American healthcare system instead of the Irish one.

[@jajamuc]

May I add another personal story. It‘s not easy for me to talk about this. Six years ago, a good friend of mine from Poland visited me in Germany. He was in a very difficult psychological situation. Drug abuse was an issue, which I was aware of. I let him crash at my place so he wouldn‘t end up on the streets. One night, he wanted to end his life by jumping off my balcony on the fifth floor. Luckily some neighbours on the ground floor found him immediately and he was alive. He suffered an extremely fractured femur and ankle joint plus lots of bruises. It took four surgeries for several implants (two of them lasted more than five hours) and six weeks in the intensive care unit to get his physical injuries fixed. They decided to keep him in the ICU for all this time to have a better eye on him because of his mental distress. He didn‘t have health insurance, so he ended up with a hospital bill of 31,000 Euros. A lot of money, but I am sure it would have been more than ten times as much in the US. Since he had no money, the hospital figured out some way to get reimbursed by Polish welfare. Please don‘t tell me that it‘s irresponsible to have no health insurance. I know, but there can be moments in life where you just don‘t care. Just last month, my friend visited me. He has managed to stay off drugs and lives a decent live in Poland now. Anybody complaining about German healthcare or European healthcare in general is more than ignorant.

[@mitchese1]

This reminds me of our experience with the French medial system. We are Canadians, but live in Germany and have German public insurance. We were having a vacation in Paris when my wife was pregnant, and while we were there she had some unexpected bleeding. We went straight to the emergency right away. They did not take down any of our payment information, and I think the emergency on-call doctor told us point blank "The primary thing is your care. We do not need to worry about payments, insurance or any details from you beyond what is medically necessary (allergies, etc). Your care is important, the rest is not" My wife had some ultrasounds and was seen by a number of specialists in the emergency room. We were there for around 5 hours while they checked everything, ran some blood tests and made sure everything was fine. In the end, we paid approximately 50 euros. And we could re-claim this from our insurance in Germany once we got back if we wanted. We didn't bother. I was shocked. Emergency treatment, for 5 hours of pretty much always in contact with a doctor (not 5 hours in a waiting room). They never scanned our EU healthcard, or knew what insurance we had in Germany. The same would have happened if you were any nationality, this had nothing to do with some cross-border public insurance. Amazing. In the end, everything is fine and we have a happy 5 year old now. We are grateful to the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers in Paris who helped us when we needed it and took care of us.

[@derichbin1918]

In allen Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union (EU) sowie in Island, Liechtenstein, Norwegen (Europäischer Wirtschaftsraum - EWR) und der Schweiz haben Versicherte bei vorübergehenden Aufenthalten Anspruch auf medizinisch notwendige Leistungen. Dieser Anspruch besteht auch weiterhin im Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland, das zum 1. Februar 2020 aus der EU ausgetreten ist. Dabei gelten dieselben Bedingungen wie für die Versicherten des Gastlandes. Mit einigen weiteren Ländern wie zum Beispiel Tunesien oder der Türkei wurden Sozialversicherungsabkommen getroffen, die auch den Krankenversicherungsschutz einschließen. Vor einem Urlaub in den oben genannten Ländern sollten Versicherte mit ihrer Krankenkasse sprechen und sich gegebenenfalls eine „Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte“ (European Health Insurance Card - EHIC) oder eine Anspruchsbescheinigung ausstellen lassen. In Deutschland befindet sich die EHIC auf der Rückseite der nationalen Krankenversicherungskarte (eGK).

[@mitchese1]

@derichbin1918 ya but they never looked at my TK card, never scanned it and had no idea we were European.

[@mats7492]

European Health Insurance!

[@junglecat_rant]

There is a treaty between health insurance services of EU countries to treat emergencies and such. But if you want/need a transport home this is not included. That's why it is prudent to have and additional insurance for travel even if you only travel inside the EU/Switzerland.

[@mitchese1]

@@junglecat_rant yep, but they never scanned my card or knew I was covered by European insurance. Of course we also have travel health insurance too but I wanted to share my surprise of how good and inexpensive healthcare is in France. We were, according to the data we gave them, uninsured.

[@jankrusat2150]

Three years ago I had a stroke in Germany. Of course, as a German employee, I'm insured through the mandatory statutary German insurance system. But I got picked up by an ambulance with an emergency doctor within 15 minutes after the stroke happened (I was lucky that I had a trained geriatric nurse sitting beside me when it happened, who recognised the symptoms and called the ambulance with the right key words to the dispatcher). The doctor started treating me right in the ambulance and about 20 minutes later I was in the emergency room of a hospital with a stroke unit (a kind of mini ICU). They did various tests with me, including a CT, a doppler sonography of my head and chest, ECG and a MRI. They found no reason for the stroke, except for an extremely high blood pressure (they were not sure if it caused the stroke or was caused by it) and the symptoms cleared within a few hours, so that I don't have any permanent damage. The whole affair, including four days in the stroke unit cost me € 40, which I had to pay out of my pocket. This money is to cover for the food I ate in the hospital and would be waived for low income people.

[@peterkoller3761]

well, you would have had to eat at home, as well...

[@TypeAshton]

Hope you are doing well today! That was so fortunate that you had such a prompt response to your stroke. I don’t have any personal experience with this but have heard timing is everything. ❤️

[@jankrusat2150]

@@peterkoller3761 Exactly. Therefore I have no problem with this charge. And e.g. people living of welfare would not have to pay anything.

[@jankrusat2150]

@@TypeAshton Thanks!

[@peterkoller3761]

@@TypeAshton time = brain cells...

[@LS-Moto]

Stories like these, make me proud of my country and of my continent. Glad your mom is well.

[@markusfischer1498]

As a German, the story makes me a little proud, because we have so many problems in our society at the moment that it brought tears to my eyes that there is still something in our society that we can be a little proud of. The health care system is not the best showcase and you have to give doctors a chance and sometimes spend a long time looking for someone who is willing to determine the treatment method themselves, outside of the regulations of the health insurance companies. When I am in Freiburg, you can clearly feel that there is still mutual consideration and empathy here, which I miss a lot in other regions of my homeland. All the best to your mum and family.

[@autohmae]

Also a reminder why the NHS is the UK is such a hot button issue.

[@huckleberryfinn-cz3gd]

Perhaps other things in Germany are also not as bad as some people think ....

[@walther2492]

Germany has far fewer problems than some people would have you believe.

[@markusfischer1498]

@@huckleberryfinn-cz3gd It's all a question of perspective. How often do you think you have problems and there are more than enough examples to prove that what you perceive is not a problem. Regarding the health care system in Germany, you need luck or a lot of time. My grandmother, for example, had a broken pelvis and was placed in a nursing home after the standard treatment period with a flat rate insurance payment. It took us two weeks to get her out of there and into rehab. And that's despite the fact that you know that after a stable pelvic fracture you should start pain and exercise therapy immediately. The reason given was that she was already 92 years old. It was only when I asked whether that was their respect for the people who had helped rebuild the country that they thought about it.

[@RoonMian]

@@huckleberryfinn-cz3gd Just because everywhere else is even worse does not mean the problems in Germany aren't bad.

[@rawdata7569]

I had a stroke in Germany, 2016. It was some of the best medical care I had ever received, they saved my life. I had been out riding my bike for a couple hours, when I returned I sat down, and had a stroke. Could not talk correctly, my right side was not cooperating, then I hit the floor. I went to a Neurologist downtown, he did an MRI, I was then rushed to the Horst Clinikin Stroke Unit. The cost thing was very scary, but after it was all done it was minimal, you have to pay them and file your own insurance. Try that in the states and you'll owe them forever. I miss my Doctor there, he was such a nice fellow, he really cared about his patients.

[@Syndur]

It wasn't a stroke, but when we were on vacation (Germans, in Germany) my father had some problems so he finally decided to go to a doctor. They told us he needed surgery, and my mom was like "ok, we'll do that the first thing when we get home", to which the doctor responded something like "no, ambulance is on the way, and they are already waiting for him at the hospital". And yes, this was at the end of the vacation, but we stayed at the hotel while he was in hospital, instead of going home "as planned" and fetching him later. Insurance does NOT cover that additional cost :-) Greedy bastards.

[@xDakos]

@@Syndur Still way better than getting thrown around for another 3 months possible having no more dad German doctors dont care about your work or money they just want to safe your life asap and in the end it was probably still cheaper

[@srh2301]

Going on a trip without a travel insurance is really careless. In 2008 my wife and I travelled from Germany to St Petersburg, Russia, where she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to an aneurysm. The hospital in St Petrsburg was horrible, after a CT scan they gave her painkillers without any further treatment or even health monitoring. And went to bed. The hospital was run down, with 50 yrs old bed linen and the bathroom looked like the one of a suburb train station. I phoned half the night with the ADAC travel insurance, they requested all diagnosis data from the Russian doctors, and the next day an Ambulance jet came and transported my wife to a neuro chirurgical center in Germany. There she had a brain surgery, fell in coma for some days due to the consequences of the hemorrhagic stroke, had quadriplegia, half of her skull had to be removed to save her live. After she recovered, she had to learn walking again. She got a hemicranioplasty half a year later. Today we are still happy, she rides bike, lives a normal life with only minor deficiencies in her left hand. The 28 Euros for the travel insurance saved her life. We're pretty sure she'd have died in Russia, knowing the detoriation and complications which came some hours after she had been transported to Germany. The ADAC doctors warned me: Either we transport her NOW, or we can't help you even later. They were right, and we made the correct decision. In Germany we had to pay 10 Euros per day in the hospital. Everything else was covered by the statutory health insurance in Germany. The American health service is optimized to get as much money as possible out of the client. Not to be cost efficient and/or "customer friendly". And many Americans voted this November to make it even worse. Good luck...

[@petercollingwood522]

Your last sentence. Sad but true.

[@saschamayer4050]

Most people don't think the video and her story through. If everyone is like "Ah, just travel to Germany without health insurance. They will pay for it and I won't have to." ... Just cause you don't pay for it doesn't mean that there are no costs. Somebody has to pay. And one day, when enough people have exploited the German health care system, there will be consequences. One day, either the system will not pay anymore for the "outsiders" or it will go bankrupt.

[@Lothiril]

​@@saschamayer4050 Well, the solution obviously is not for Americans to travel to Germany to get healthcare, but for the US to get a better healthcare system.

[@SuppenDfg]

@@saschamayer4050 I'm not sure what you mean. Her parents got a 8k€ bill and that was probably enough to cover the hospitals expenses.

[@m.s.3041]

​@@saschamayer4050 they paid the "real" price of 8k€, just not this f*cked up prices the USA charge you...

[@MarkBraun-rc9wu]

I am a retired physician with a lot of experience in the American healthcare system. People do not understand that while the German (and European) national systems have their flaws they are essentially focused on good healthcare outcomes rather than profit.The American healthcare "system" is adversarial. Unless you have traditional Medicare the insurers, the medical practice groups and sadly often the doctors, are not your friend.

[@RustyDust101]

I have used the term that Germany has a health CARE system, whereas the US has a health business. That describes the difference pretty well.

[@LarsV62]

How would a tourist without travel insurance be treated in the US? Just like any US citizen in the same situation or more lenient?

[@MarkBraun-rc9wu]

Most likely they would receive good care but at an astronomical cost. It is not inconceivable that a deposit in 5 figures might be requested but it is also possible that there would be no upfront cost. Would depend on the hospital and physician(s) involved.

[@YoshiAndTheTardis]

I'm a neurology resident from Germany and this was so interesting. I'm glad your mom is doing good. This is a great video giving so much insight into our different healthcare systems. Our healthcare system in Germany has many glaws, but ultimately, it's good.

[@dielizzy-ts2rv]

Your story is the golden example why I gladly pay high health insurance prices with my regular salary to support this emergency care. I am so grateful, that even emergency care is affordable for everyone. I read a lot of wholesome stories about people, who can hardly afford their necessary meds in us, got if for free or a small fee here. hug your mom - I am so glad she is better now. And I am so glad to be born here. Seriously - If your mom needs medcare and it's more affordable for her here and better in general - do it. I also did quite some self paid medical care (some cosmetic local surgery) and I was astonished that is was moderate for the high quality I got.

[@peterkoller3761]

above all, the most important thing is that your mom is back to her usual self and doing well!

[@TypeAshton]

Yes! Absolutely, we are very thankful she is happy and healthy today.

[@markuss3735]

Ashton's mom was very lucky. And that is certainly something to be thankful for. But what about all the people in the US who are not as lucky and end up being bankrupted, destroying entire families? Therefore, I'd say the MOST important thing is to raise awareness and to educate the woefully and dangerously misinformed Americans about how sick, dangerous and inhuman the US "health care" system is. The country is very quickly on its way to becoming a third world country. Simply because too many Americans are so poorly educated and therefore easily manipulated into voting agains their own interests.

[@MTTT1234]

Hearing that your mother's hospital stay and surgery and everything could have cost anything between 300 000 $ - 500 000 $ dollars...for that price you could probably buy an MRI machine. This is just truly insane that the system in the US is just built that way. Truly glad to hear your mother is doing well now.

[@steemlenn8797]

No, those things are even more expensive. More than a million, could even be several. Plus maintenance. But of course they are also used a lot so the price per use is only a tiny fraction of that.

[@hotel66de]

New MRI is app. 500k tp 1.5m $.

[@chrisb2942]

@@hotel66de so it's payed after a weekend of use.

[@gerohubner5101]

​@@chrisb2942No, as the MRI is - of course - only a small portion of the total treatment. According to the fee schedule (GOÄ), a brain MRI in Germany is somewhere between 500 and 800 euros. In the case of diagnoses during an inpatient stay, the hospital must deduct 25% of that amount. Which means it takes MUCH LONGER to recoup the costs of an MRI system through its operation.

[@MaxMustermann-nd4uy]

@@chrisb2942 And this is why an MRI for privately insured patiens (=doctors actually make a profit) costs about 500 Euros for the bare procedure, plus the radiologists report. The MRI takes includng setting up maybe 20-30 minutes, so say 20 patients a day or 5000 a year, 50.000 in 10 years. The write-off per procedure is 10 to 30 Euros. The main cost is maintenance, salaries and space. You need to have a receptionist, 1-2 technicians/nurses (who actually operates the machine) and a readiologist. Add to that taxes and insurance. Roughly 250 Euros staff cost for the half hour, 50 Euros write-off, 50 Euros for maintenance and you are left with 150 Euros for rent, billing company etc.

[@gloofisearch]

Content like this makes me cry. Most important is, all went well. Living on both sides of the ocean, I had medical care on both sides as well. Luckily, I never needed serious stuff, mainly sports injuries with a max of 3 days hospital. Nevertheless, when in Germany, I always have the feeling that everybody knows what they are doing. The nurses and doctors really know what they are talking about. In the US, it is like a step by step process. You go in and they go by a list and during each step you might have another person managing that machine to do tests. You get the feeling, that this person only knows how to handle that particular machine and if you ask something that has nothing to do with that, you get the answer "Ask the doctor", or "I don't know". We are in the midst of setting up live in Spain, and when you move to a new country, Facebook groups are a good source to talk about obstacles or asking questions. Now, pretty much all Americans in that group are shocked by the high taxes in Spain, but none understands that these are needed to pay for exactly that, a well functioning health care system, public transport and infrastructure. As an American, you only see what YOU have in your pocket at the end, not what society has. Your experience shows, that money is not the most important thing in our lives, but society. With a well set up social system, everybody can get the level of care your mom got without paying for the rest of your live.

[@alterbayer7196]

... absoltly right !!! Americans care ever only about themselfs !! Social Security is EVIL ... Obamacare is EVIL ... free Haelthcare is EVIL !!!! ... thats is it what your Government and the whole System tells you !! Because the whole American Government is unbelievable corrupt !! And with the new Govrnement ..... it get more and more and more worst than you can EVER IMAGINE !!! ..... poor american citizens ....

[@peshadowbird7320]

@gloofsearch: Your comment is absolutely wonderful! You seem to have a deep understanding of what REALLY matters in a society, how to establish and maintain this "fragile" construct. Empathy matters, care matters, helping out others matters - those values build a strong society, where - at best - everyone has a voice. All in all, the goal is a strong "social construct" with a safety- net for every citizen and i think this is a absolute beautiful concept! It has it's flaws, of course - but i still believe strongly in its values. The problem is: To describe or explain "social politics" to an USamerican seems (at least to me) difficult to not possible at all. Most of them seem to stick to their need of being highly individualistic and to do whatever they wanna do. "My Neighbour seems to never go to the gym/eats unhealthy/smokes/drinks - whatever. WHY should i, healthy as can be, pay for HIS behaviour?? No way!" Not sure of using the right words/explanations but i hope you get the point...

[@geneviere199]

The system in the USA is more about me, myself and I - the German saying for that would be "nach mir die Sintflut".

[@petrameyer1121]

I wish your mother a good further recovery.

[@justkilian7795]

6:45 why didnt you call an ambulance? Im an EMT here in germany and this would have been something where no ambulance would have Not helped. We can even call the fire brigade to help us carry you down. We also have equipment that makes it easier to carry you downstairs.

[@davesaunders7080]

An inspiring story. From Canada we too have trouble comprehending how such a wealthy country as the USA puts the dollar ahead of it's citizens well being. Such a basic human right as decent affordable heathcare is worldwide seen as important. So happy that your mom has recovered and I hope can visit you frequently and I know your family now has the assurance that heathcare for any of you is not a worry.

[@dr.konraddahlem5697]

Thank you for sharing this touching personal story on KZbin... and for expressing your deepest gratitude to the Freiburg university hospital's staff and administration 👍🏾.

[@Zynt0xik]

Recently went through pregnancy and delivery in the US, and as a European it was an insane experience. Getting clear information about costs, expectations, options, *anything*, was near impossible. And I have to say, being scanned like a carton of eggs at the grocery store every single time anyone provided any service at the hospital felt utterly dehumanizing. I was prepared for that it was going to be different from what I was used to, but afterwards when the bills started rolling in and text messages to basically give my various providers yelp reviews started bombarding phone, I couldn't help but be chocked over how surreal and commercialized the entire experience has been. The American healthcare system is absolutely bonkers.

[@silsternensand]

And with Trump it will be worse.

[@davesaunders7080]

@@silsternensand The system needs to be fed money for the almighty profits.

[@flower_power]

@@silsternensand and still that is what most Americans want... Because ???

[@proftorricelli40]

@@flower_power Well, because government-issued healthcare (for folks other than politicians and the military, of course) is LITERALLY STALIN, of course. Didn't you know?

[@smilingbandit6900]

@@flower_power they dont teach at schools life lessons but propaganda for the almighty god profit imo. Not that the german schools are different but a smidge above us school system.

[@calise8783]

In the fall of 2020, my son had an accident. He broke both bones in his under arm with an open fracture. An ambulance was called, the Notarzt came. We went to the ER, he had surgery with two metal rods placed. His hospital stay was two nights including some early physical therapy. We went for checks at the hospital every 3ish weeks. We also followed up with our pediatrician who removed the stitches from the surgery. In January he had an outpatient surgery to remove the rods, again checks with hospital and pediatrician. For all that, we paid €20 for the ambulance . As a child ( he was 15) everything is covered. Yes, while they were hanging another IV prior to surgery, as an American I actually thought, “ Dear God, what is this going to cost us.” Then I remembered where I was. I already paid for this with my premiums. We are good. I mentioned this to my German brother-in-law and he said with shock, you actually thought that? Yes, yes, I did. And the care was just fine, organized, professional and of high quality. Ok, there is less unimportant glitz here but the care is what is important. I won’t even go into my post birth emergency surgery and icu stay. No complaints here.

[@Janjan0190]

And this is exactly why I have no issues paying into Gesetzliche although I could switch to Private healthcare - Happy to hear everything went well! 😊

[@SummerJune25]

I am only a few minutes into the story and I already really enjoy the editing of the video. Also I am glad your mom is doing better!

[@TypeAshton]

Thank you! It was a tough edit because I didn't film anything in "real time". Normally storytelling is better with an in the moment feeling, but our priority was just getting her healthy. It wasn't until recently that my mom expressed wanting to tell her story.

[@metalheadmetalhead4976]

"Speechless" is the word. This year my mom died in hospital. I stood in front of the bed, saw her lying, unable to talk anymore because all of that painkillers and with additional oxygen. Finally she died and I was not able to do something for her - first time in my life. Thank God your mom made it and recovered so far. Good to see that our german health service system still works well without dying because of a pile of bills you can't pay. Best wishes to you all!

[@manuelarose6866]

Nicht zu vergessen, dass Immigranten, welche nie einen Cent einzahlen, die gleiche KV und Pflegerversich erhalten. Die Pflegeversicherung steht momentan am finanziellen Limit. Das fit so lange, wie es noch Einzahler gibt, brechen diese jedoch bedingt zb durch Insolvenzen mehr und mehr weg, bleibt abzuwarten, ob die KV dann noch mit Steuergeld geschultert werden kann. Merz steht in den Startloechern, Dtl den Ukraine Mühlstein allein umzubinden. Sonder Vermögen ( Schulden ) werden noetig, die Schuldenbremse gelockert . Taurus Marschflugkoerper gibt’s nicht umsonst.

[@kingcookie885]

Well this helps staying motivated while studying medicine in Germany, so all the best to your mum and thx ^^

[@BlueFlash215]

Please stay motivated. I'm a chronic pain patient in Germany and we are in dire need of doctors that can treat chronic pain. With empathy fatigue rising, I have many doctors telling me that the opioids I'm taking daily are not suited for a 35 year old patient. When we talk about options and I stay for months or years for a better treatment, in the end they realize that the "Kopfschmerzklinik Kiel" did the only right thing. I refused to take opioids for several years until I barely was living anymore. With Kiel, my neurological doctor and another clinic fine tuning the opioid dose over a couple of years, I can participate in daily activities again. This was back in 2017. Yet, more and more doctors I have to visit for another chronic disease blame me for taking the medication. We went through dozens, if not nearly a hundred options over nearly a decade. The ego of some doctors is crazy. They think of themselves as being perfect. Being a mechanical engineer that worked in the field of medical compound materials, I never felt special. I heard that new clinic trials with materials for the heart and other parts did work out. Yet I only heard back in reports. Only one doctor spoke to me in person and was thankful. It seems like all the other doctors took it for granted that engineers, chemists and other professions dedicate their life to invent things to make surgery easier.

[@arnodobler1096]

Thanks also to your mom for sharing her story. Give her our regards. We are glad that she is doing well!

[@RustyDust101]

First off: talking about a personal medical experience that was very serious is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. So I appreciate that a lot. Jonathan, your neurologist friend did the exact right thing. In Germany when you got any ailment that goes beyond the normal state you go see a doctor. Period. The cost is going to be negligible to anything you might ignore that turns out to be bad. As a German I am completely happy and fine to support ANYONE, from anywhere, that visits Germany and has health issues with my health insurance premiums. Solidarity above individual cost. Saving a life is worth every single cent IMO that I personally and anyone else has ever spent on their Krankenkasse here in Germany.

[@peter_meyer]

+1

[@k.ch.muller1155]

@@peter_meyer I sign that in a heart beat

[@anitapenkert8908]

Agree absolutely. I am not sure if the current mindset in US society is the outcome or the reason of the division of people: Always us against them. "They" get government subsidies without working and are lazy, "they" should not demand better public transport but get a car like decent people etc. It might be different in real life, but when I hear interviews there is a lot of disdain, mistrust and contemptousness, probably because people are afraid of losing their social standing (many do not have the same amounts of savings as we have in Germany) and therefore try to hit on the ones they think inferior to make a distinction that they are (still) better off. Btw, fearmongering and feeling envious is another big topic that I get when reading US comments in social media.

[@dwyerwk]

kudos to your mom for riding a bike AND wearing a helmet! my experience in Germany having an emergency kidney stone attack was exactly the same except they tried to release me and have me walk out the door without paying. When I asked them where I needed to pay they looked at me like deer in headlights. Oh by the way, the EMT on the way to the hospital asked me two questions about my symptoms and immediately nailed exactly what was wrong with me. I've even had kidney stones several times before and it didn't occur to me that's what it was. To me the most important take-away from all this is that the system in Germany addresses the medical issues of patients and only worries about payment and insurance afterwards, whereas in the USA it is the reverse. This is probably why USA is ranked #38 and Germany is #7.

[@etiennesharp]

That's why I love the NHS. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can attend A&E (Accident & Emergency = Emergency Room) for free. I've been in hospital a few times and never paid a penny because we pay for it through our taxes. Great video, Ashton and congrats on the 100K.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

Tourists do have to pay something now. Obviously not American amounts of money.

[@etiennesharp]

@@phoenix-xu9xj For surgery. The A&E is still totally free.

[@etiennesharp]

@@phoenix-xu9xj They pay the NHS tariff plus a % for surgery. A&E remains free for everyone.

[@Hendricus56]

​@@phoenix-xu9xj I assume mostly so it's not abused. Plus they don't finance it through their taxes etc. But it's also good that hospitals in other countries do recognise that foreigners might need medical help while on vacation for example and that it shouldn't be too expensive

[@michaeltb1358]

@@phoenix-xu9xj But they will treat you first for any emergency.

[@PragerFenster]

Whenever I hear "Springfield“, I cannot help thinking of the" They are eating the cats“ nonsense 😏. Universal healthcare in Germany involves the health insurances bargaining the prices for medication and procedures collectively, which makes them so much cheaper. You are so right, Ashton, to be mad at the price gourging in the the US. But yes, elderly people in particular should definitely ensure acquiring travel insurance when traveling abroad. I would never dream of traveling to the US and other places without one, to be honest. So glad your Mum is okay ❤

[@POSTEOZUHAUSE]

Ich als Deutscher kann nicht verstehen warum wir hier noch soviel nörgeln über unser System. Wir haben leider auch Probleme Pflegekräfte und Ärzte zu finden die hier arbeiten wollen. Freue mich das es deiner Mutter wieder besser geht. Bleibt alle Gesund und genießt was ich habt. Gruß Paul aus Essen (NRW) As a German, I can't understand why we still complain so much about our system. Unfortunately, we also have problems finding nurses and doctors who want to work here. I'm happy that your mother is feeling better again. Stay healthy and enjoy what I have. Greetings Paul from Essen (NRW)

[@noobdernoobder6707]

Beacuse it has been better when doctors made the decisions and now is in decline because of self proclaimed "medical health care economists". I hope you see the dissonance of words in their profession title. Not to mention that these individuals probably never have seen a patient within their proximity range of maybe 5000 meters.

[@POSTEOZUHAUSE]

@@noobdernoobder6707 Gemeint war das viele BWLer hier das System kaputt machen. Damit sollte keine Berufsgruppe herabgewürdigt werden. What was meant was that many business students are destroying the system here. This was not intended to degrade any professional group.

[@sandraankenbrand]

Es ist nicht perfekt und aktuell sind alle überlastet, aber - abgesehen von den USA: ich lebe in UK - da sind die Kosten zwar ähnlich den Deutschen, aber Du wartest 24h mit nem Herzinfarkt... Vorher hatte ich in Hong Kong ne kleine OP - Handbruch. Obwohl Resident, also kein Tourist musste ich vorab 30.000€ hinlegen. 15 bekam ich zurück, die anderen 15 hat die KV übernommen, aber 30K muss man erst mal hinlegen können. Ich hab alle drei Kreditkarten gebraucht

[@MySecandRandomStuff-id5od]

Granted, the system itself whilst still being great is, as mentioned, slowly degrading, and fears are that the rising costs of the health industry overburden the stauattory health industry (You will see that with the rise of contribution rates we have to pay in 2025) combined with underpaid health workers. On the non-hospital end, the quota system for licensing specialists of the associations of physicians creates a real shortage in many sectors. Ophthalmologists were always tricky to get an appointment with, now that extends way further: Psychotherapists, dermatologists, physio, even pediatricians... Luckily, most insurances can nowadays get you an appointment within four weeks. Yet fears are, that the situation

[@buerostumpf]

Dear Ashton, thanks for sharing this. It’s evidently not easy to make this all of this public and yet so important you ventured doing it. It shows so clearly what it means to make healthcare a public good instead of a commodity depending on individual financial capabilities. I wonder who’s lining their pockets with healthcare in the U.S.. 8K Euros versus a half million Dollars is just bizarre. Maybe this might inspire you to dig a little deeper into this topic as well!

[@TypeAshton]

It is a really complex topic. Many hospitals don't publish prices, and when they do it is not often accurate because individual hospital systems negotiate prices with every individual health insurance company. So the same hospital might charge two people different prices for the same procedure.

[@buerostumpf]

@ …and then there is a huge market for all kinds of medical products and devices which also has great influence on the cost of healthcare - given the fact that big players like to enlarge their piece of the pie if you let them. Germany actually seems to be quite a tough market for healthcare anyway as the price for procedures and care is basically fixed and transparent. While this approach certainly causes problems of its own it does prevent a whole market to completely go haywire.

[@aw3s0me12]

*Not only* do US hospitals negotiate prices with every individual health insurance company, *the health insurance companies* also negotiate with *every single doctor* the prices and *IF* the Doc. is taken the deal *or not.* *On Top* of all that, every US HC (Healthcare) insurance has *a list,* of hospitals and doctors you ARE (supposedly) covered, so there are hospitals & doctors, in your region, you are NOT covered. *A list,* is *a limitation.* Not only nationwide but even in your own state or town. > Imagine an accident with a car. 1st, you have to think fk US ambulance cost me 500 to 800+ bugs to get to the hospital alone. > Now, *which* hospital they are drivin to is *NOT* bound to where you are covered or not. Casino Royal in reallife. > Let's say they bring you to a hospital, your are covered. > A doctor *without* a contract with your HC insurance, *only touches you,* you are NOT covered for his interactions/doing. _Now imagine THIS doctor is the one who is operating you, ..._ You are toast. ... You want or need to go to a specific doctor, you can NOT, bc he is NOT on your HC insurance list. You still can, but NOT covered, is what I mean. ... SO for me, ...why even care to get a US insurance, paying way more per month or/and *up front,* and in the end *have NO right/law* that makes this insurance actual PAY even if all covering points are met. > To deny payment by a US HC insurance is like a sports event for them. They do this regular.* *American Hospital Association:* _Jul 8, 2024_ The Healthcare Equality Network, July 3 sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, *expressing concerns* about *claims denials by commercial insurance companies.* "According to a KFF analysis, insurance companies, *on average, deny 1 in 5 claims,* with *one insurer rejecting 49 percent* and *another rejecting a shocking 80 percent,"* the group wrote. *"This problem extends to Medicare Advantage plans, which were created to offer more choice and comprehensive benefits and now cover more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries but are now inundated with prior authorization requirements and coverage denials."* ... Many points like that emerge EVEN while you might be covered in the US. In the end, it has LOW meaning with all the *high* risk involving being not covered still in the end. ... This is an embarrassing status for a "so said" developed country, still in progress of getting there.

[@user-ky451]

@@aw3s0me12they Play with other people‘s life. Horrifying

[@HT-io1eg]

I used to travel to the states a lot, for my own company, I had $10m insurance coverage on a global annual policy. Cost about £200/year. I wouldn’t even consider going to the states without this level of coverage

[@SheratanLP]

As a German who has always had an accident or work-related accident, I am always shocked at how expensive doctor's visits and treatment are in America. I have never given a single thought to the cost of a hospital stay because I have health insurance like every other German. Even when I was unemployed, I continued to have health insurance through the job center and didn't have to worry at all about doctor's visits or hospital stays. I LOVE GERMANY.

[@chrischy]

How I screamed at my phone, get her to the hospital, don't get her down... Pleasaase get a Notarzt and help. Very happy that you shared this experience with us

[@hendman4083]

Americans wll do pretty much everything to avoid calling an ambulance, and so would you if that would cost you upwards from $ 5.000....

[@jochentram9301]

@@hendman4083 20 Euros, if it's a genuine emergency, around 400 if not. And I think the latter is a disgrace. Untrained people are unable to judge whether they're looking at a genuine emergency.

[@chrischy]

But not in Germany 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@KnorKater]

You can also see on that bill that the vast majority of the cost in Germany is the surgery itself. Simply the stay in the hospital per day was like 250-300€ in total in Germany, instead of nearly 3.000$.

[@TypeAshton]

Great catch! Crazy to think of it as a ten fold difference in price.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

As a German it's kind of shocking to see a hospital bill for the first time and then be able to compare it to the average US bills. Even if you have to pay out of pocket Germany is still cheaper and we have better outcomes over here on average too so you get more for less.

[@ccat342]

They probably have better food quality there 😂 and you forgot the tips for waitress.

[@SharienGaming]

@@DieAlteistwiederda i think a lot of those better outcomes are because people arent afraid to go to a doctor - no threat of bankruptcy means that a lot of stuff gets caught early AND will actually be treated - no need to "walk it off" and of course you dont have to worry about losing your income while you are in medical care either

[@Durayne]

Like 20 years ago the 2000€ / day was the price for children critical care units. If you got private insurance that is (so factor 2.3 or sth). And with that I mean really critical care units with 0.5 to 1 nurse per patient.

[@paanikki]

The huge cost difference is the main reason why so many Americans are so sceptic of the quality of healthcare in other parts of the world. Americans seem to forget the fact that American healthcare providers and health insurance companies are corporations whose job is to make huge profits for their shareholders. Simultaneously, public healthcare in Europe must use their limited resources in the most effective way. The illusion of freedom has been sold to several generations of Americans, with a huge cost. Private education and private healthcare are the key parts of this illusion.

[@schtreg9140]

I'm really glad your mom is back to normal and that this video had such a happy ending. However, I'm less hopeful about the situation in the US. After watching the video, I just asked a bunch of my friends and colleagues from America how much they would estimate all of those tests, the surgery and the recovery stay in the hospital to cost with and without insurance. I'm going to show them this video afterwards. I'm already approaching it like this because from past interactions I know that if I told them this story beforehand, they'd make up all sorts of excuses and tell me that it would be just as cheap in the US and that everybody has insurance over there anyway and that I'm falling for online anti-American propaganda from "europoors". The election results aren't very.. inspiring.. either. Anyway, all the best to you and your family and greetings from Austria!

[@TypeAshton]

That is what shocked my parents as well. When my dad saw the full bill from Germany his exact words were "We really are being scammed in the USA aren't we?". It is really amazing when you think about how many millions of Americans don't have health insurance.

[@AlexRadler-bw9js]

@@TypeAshtonthat´s probably the main-reason for average live-expectancy being lower in the US than in Germany and other western-european countries.

[@thomasa7187]

Das gleiche ist meinem Vater passiert. Allerdings mit 2 Monaten Verzögerung. Es ist im Juni gestürzt und im August kam der fast Komplettausfall der Motorik. Er war schon weit über 80 und trotzdem haben die Ärzte ein kleines Wunder hinbekommen und er hat sich wieder vollständig davon erholt. Wir maulen ja viel über unser Gesundheitsystem, aber wenn es richtig ernst wird, dann kann man sich - meiner Meinung nach - darauf immer noch verlassen.

[@fj8264]

allerdings auf Kosten des Personals.

[@Mario.Su98]

Hey Ashton, it's me again - just have been commenting on a video from 3 years ago. I am once again so happy, (this time) your mom received help! And I'm proud that help came from Germany! Without any comment on the German health care system or prices, we should all be grateful for the amount of physicians there is, who dedicate their lives to fulfill wonders! 😍 Best of luck and good health for you and your entire family! ♥

[@paulm.sweazey336]

Interestingly, my worst experience with major surgery in Germany was that it occurred during a heatwave, and of course there was no air conditioning in the hospital. That was truly terrible, but nothing compared to the good that comes from the German healthcare system. Thanks again, Ashton. You are a treasure.

[@OP-1000]

No airconditioning in a hospital? That is really unusual.

[@walther2492]

In US hospitals it is not about health, but about profit. You are not a patient in the US, you are a customer.

[@barryvandertas2234]

You are not a customer, you are a sick wallet.

[@szaszm_]

A customer who can't refuse service

[@vitaliustsinovich6846]

Wishing your mom a complete and speedy recovery. I hope this video will remind people to NEVER travel internationally without an international health insurance, regardless of young or healthy you are

[@hammelsprung3998]

Yup. Imagine not having one visiting the US. Id rather play russian roulette.

[@vitaliustsinovich6846]

@ you’ll be surprised how many people visit the US without it

[@JD_Viddy]

Back in 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer and would definitely need 1 surgery, and probably two. At that time I was self-insured through my company but of course didn't want to bankrupt it. Knowing what a scam American healthcare is I remember a friend (who was originally from Germany) who found that he could fly to Germany and get a hip replacement for about 1/4 of the cost that it would be in California. Doing some searching on the inter-webs I found a (now long gone) company called MedGermany that would arrange foreigners to get healthcare in Germany. The great thing is that I could tell them what surgeries were needed and they would give me a price, such a relief compared to the American system of charging whatever they think they can get away with. Even with airfare, local lodging when not in the hospital (where I was for about 9 days), hiring an interpreter, and the profit for MedGermany I figure I saved at least 60% over what it would cost in the US. The surgeries were done at the University Medical Center in Mainz.

[@wolfgangloll2747]

For me, it is above all the worry-free feeling. Even if I don't get out what I pay in as a young person, I can go to the doctor without having to do any research or worry.

[@SharienGaming]

exactly! and its important to realize - this isnt a "pay money in to get care later" system... we all pool our money to make sure that whatever happens - everyone gets taken care of oneself might never need the care and only contribute...or one might be unable to contribute and end up needing a lot of care... or anywhere in between - but the important thing there is... everyone on that scale gets to live (within medicines ability to make that happen of course) which is why im genuinely furious that people of wealth can extract themselves from that system and go to private healthcare... egotistical leeches...

[@mckuddel7012]

My wife and I just got back from a trip to the USA. On TV, there were mostly ads for fast food chains with deals like "buy 2, get the 3rd free." There were also a lot of advertisements for medications, often for problems caused by unhealthy eating. What really shocked me, though, were the frequent fundraising ads for a children’s hospital, asking for donations to help kids whose families can’t afford life-saving treatments like cancer care. To me, this is hard to understand and very upsetting.

[@damienm8416]

Had a similar experiance here last year with my Mum . She came over as she usually did during autum but we had not seen here since all the lockdowns so when she arrived she seemed more fragile since the last time we saw her , holding onto my arm whenever we walked i put it off to age finally catching up to her as my Mum was always very active and fit she was 67 . As the week progressed we got more concerned so eventually with a lot of persuading i finally took her to the ER where we waited for 10 hours, my Mum was not a happy bunny . Something showed up on the X-Ray and the diagnosis was that it looked like a Brain tumor . She was anxious to get back home to get treatment but the Doctors told her not to fly as it was dangerous she could have a seizure mid flight as she had water between her skull and brain . After the next few weeks and after a lot of tests she was finally diagnosed with Lung cancer . I drove her home to England in November and returned for Christmas , i was shocked when i saw her the medication had changed my slender Mum . She was supposed to have more treatment before Christmas but she cancelled all of them as she wanted to enjoy the time with us i think deep inside she already knew what was going to happen . My Mum passed away peacefully on the 7th of March this year .

[@thomasnehring2774]

I am so glad your mom came out the other side of this healthy and happy. Thank you for sharing. Yes, I am fed up with the American healthcare system. My wife had to go to the emergency room a few days ago. Although the care was great, we spent hours debating whether or not we needed to go. (Is this just back pain or something else?) It turned out there was something more severe going on and I am so thankful we made that decision. We just need to wait a few months for the bill. I also have epilepsy. I usually have a seizure a few times a year, quite infrequent compared to most epileptics. I tell those close to me, "During a seizure, unless I stop breathing or otherwise hurt myself, DONT call for an ambulance." After arriving at the hospital, the doctors will give me an IV, wait for my heart rate to go down, give me a pat on the back, and than slap me with a bill. It's just not worth it. It truly is a shame that, even though we live in an advanced economy with great healthcare, most of us are scared to use it due to the potential high cost. And we won't even know what the final cost will be until the bill is processed through insurance, which could be months! I'm glad your mom received the help she needed in Germany. Hopefully that value of care will be available in the states someday.

[@Kleberei]

Insurance is cheap in Germany. The ADAC (for example) offers the "Incomingversicherung" for visitors (Liability- and Health-insurance), it's 84,- EUR for 2 months.

[@TypeAshton]

That is great to know. Jonathan's mom took out a private travel health insurance policy from her us insurer and i think she paid upwards of 200 dollars for just a 1 month stay.

[@pieterzuiddam]

The same here in the Netherlands. By the way it was an obligation to get the Schengen visa for my sister in law from Indonesia this summer, no health insurance, no visa. Strange that Americans can enter the EU without that same obligation. Thank you very much to be so open Ashton, happy your mother is fine now.

[@arnikakiani8014]

I was just going to recommend the ADAC insurance.

[@cdiehr-xm3mc]

We are Americans in Germany and also use the ADAC Incoming Versicherung for our visitors. Never had an issue but it’s good to know it’s there! Especially since my Dad is diabetic and has had a kidney transplant.

[@apveening]

@@TypeAshton At least now you know. I strongly recommend you get this insurance for guests from the USA. Not only will it be a lot cheaper, it will also minimize bureaucracy as you can refer the German hospital to the German insurer, same time zone and same methods.

[@Denny-u7o]

My mother has had to go through a lot now that she is retired. First she had lung cancer and was treated for 2 years. Then she had an aneurysm in her head and had to undergo several operations. Now she was in hospital for a week because her airways were blocked due to an infection and she now needs oxygen day and night. If she were not a pensioner in Germany and of course had health insurance despite a small pension, but in the USA, she would have died 3 years ago!

[@janl4466]

Glad to hear that your mom is happy and healthy again!

[@conniebruckner8190]

I'm so sorry you had that scare. So pleased to hear your mom is on the mend. I fully understand how appreciative you are that the doctors in Freiburg had no hesitation to treat her and to do so quickly. All the best to all of you and may you be spared from anymore of such incidents.

[@PRIMEVAL543]

I lived 9 months in hospitals in Germany with brain surgery and a ton of other stuff. The total cost was still a fraction of what she would have had to pay for her brain surgery alone in the US, and most of it was covered by the health insurance…

[@4_real_bruh]

15:41 for anyone looking for it. Side-note: If she had had german travel insurance, the cost wouldve been at most a couple hundred euros. Based on your insurance, the surgery, hospital stay, MRI and CT couldve even been free. In the US the same procedure wouldve cost thousands of dollars. Side-note 2: Americans like making fun of our tax system - here's a fun fact for you - you also have 30% income tax, most people just dont seem to know it until they do their taxes at the end of the year. Our tax rate starts at 19% and goes up to 45% based on income, but for many more privileges (and ofc, more freedom), than will ever be available in the US.

[@KrokettenKapitaen]

Sooo...for the total cost of her care in Germany, she can't even spend 3 days in a hospital room in the US. That's crazy. I wish your mother all the best.

[@eastfrisian_88]

Oh my what a nightmare, I had a lump in my throat, that must have been a very scary experience in a foreign country and most of the family far away. I am very glad that your mother is well again! Too bad there was trouble with the American health insurance, instead they should be happy that they only had to pay a small fraction of the costs that would otherwise have been incurred in the USA. Lots of health and love!

[@TypeAshton]

That is exactly what we thought. We were floored that the US insurer fought to not pay my parents back. I would think they would be happy to have saved 250+ thousand dollars - but instead they accused my mom of trying to skirt the system. Unbelievable.

[@elvenrights2428]

@@TypeAshton have you ever considered that they didn't save anything because most of costs incurred in US go really to insurance company owners who are interested in incurring as much of their consumers as possible which means that owners of insurance company in reality lost the potential income?

[@gulli72]

I've never heard _anything_ from the US healthcare system, other than that you pay an utterly obscene premium and the insurance then uses your own money to shield itself from your claims.

[@pittmosh]

Touching story, I am really glad everything went well for your mum. It's nice to hear, that this place is way brighter as it sometimes appears.

[@birgitlucci9419]

I am glad that this ended well for your mom and for the whole family. I didnt know what Huntington disease was, so in German it's called Chorea Huntington or up to a 100 years ago Veitstanz . And I remember that's why you had in vitro fertilization for your first child. We are lucky to have you as new citizens and thank God you benefit from our health care system we often complain about.

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

I am so glad that your mom is doing well! You must have been so worried 😧 And thank you for sharing this very personal story, Ashton!

[@TypeAshton]

Thank you for your kind words and thank you for watching!

[@sabine563]

When I was pregnant with baby no 5 my husband who is a soldier was transferred to the States for one year. We wanted to join him but could not do so becuase of the lack of health insurance. My German insurance said since there was no "Sozialversicherungsvereinbarung" between Germany and the USA and they as a public insurer could not offer to pay the enormous costs in the US for medical events. And because I was pregnant no private insurance would take me in neither. The only option for some kind of temporary insurance was extremely expensive. So the kids and I stayed at home in Germany. Only for a lack of health insurance. We were very frustrated at the time bti after all finally I had an amazing birth experience in Freiburg 😉

[@Hendricus56]

Noticed that while looking up the prices for my insurance company. They can't pay in the US because they are a public insurer. Luckily I can get an additional insurance from a company that cooperates with my insurer for ~15-25€ a year, assuming I only spend about 60 days in another country that year. Not something I would get while travelling in Europe since it works fine then, but definitely something for different continents

[@Jimo1956]

That sounds a bit odd. When at the time you were married and your hubby was posted to the US for a year, all family members would have been entitled to health care coverage by TRICARE in the US. I hope you had the circumstances checked at the time by someone from TRICARE. Mind you, I know that in such cases wrong info is sometimes given. The "Sozialversicherungsvereinbarung" only covers care in most European countries. Not "overseas:"

[@sabine563]

​@Jimo1956 yes the German military administration was in charge of checking this. For some reason it was not possible. But I have to admit I do not fully understand why. One reason was the lack of agreement between the German and US bodies on this since usually the term is 2+ years and we were only supposed to go for one year. It could be very well that the complications were within the German side of this discussion 🤷‍♀️ TRICARE only supports some of the costs for German soldiers in the US as far as I know. Also - this was 10yrs ago...

[@Jimo1956]

@sabine563 Ah OK. I was assuming your hubby was a member of the US Army. TRICARE doesn't cover foreign forces even if deployed to the USA.

[@JohnMckeown-dl2cl]

Healthcare in the US is very expensive, and to be honest, I don't understand why. The level of care is very similar, the facilities are equally equipped, the doctors have the same qualifications and the availability of care is mostly the same. What does not compare is the cost. Your mother's case is a prime example. $8000 as compared to $250000 is just crazy. Many people have good insurance that helps mitigate this, but many do not. I have read that medical care expenses are the second leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the US. It is a true national shame that this has not been fixed. The most important thing is that your mother has recovered and is doing well. I wish her the best.

[@dadalotamus3512]

Profit.

[@AlexRadler-bw9js]

It´s the profits for the private owners. You can notice in Germany as well. If you happen to be treated in a privately-owned hospital you´ll notice that nursing will be worse than in publicly-owned hospitals. It´s things like having to bring and use your own towels vs. being given towels by the hospital, quality of food, less and lower paid personall for care and nuresing and stuff like this. Since privately-owned hospitals are getting the same fixed rates by the health-insurance they have to squeeze out the 8-10% Profit from something.

[@qr3579]

@@dadalotamus3512 Exactly. American healthcare system is a giant idustry. Americans spend about 4 trillions USD anually (12k per capita) both privately and and via taxes (Medicaid, Medicare etc.). There is a lot of profit to be made there.

[@nikonikovic5844]

Because health care workers in Germany are getting pennies compared to their colleges in USA. Neurosurgeon who did the operation gets in Germany around 140 000€ p.a. pre-tax, whereas in USA for the same job he would get $686,301 (average annual salary of Neurosurgeon in USA). Every story has two sides...

[@cobba42]

@@nikonikovic5844 140k is compensation one can make a good living on ...

[@aaronbono4688]

As I get older this is the thing that concerns me the most about living here in the United States. For my entire life and I'm 54 now I have been terrified about going into the doctor because of the bills and that is absurd.

[@monikal.1249]

I work in University Hospital of Freiburg but in the Children Department. It is nice to hear that your mom doing well and you have good experience with our Hospital in Freiburg 😊

[@TypeAshton]

We were just in the new Children's hospital last weekend! Just the notfallklinik, as we had a persistent fever with one of our boys for 6+ days.... he's all better now and the new facility is stunning.

[@monikal.1249]

Yes, it is much better then the old one 😅 we just moved in to the new Hospital at the end of September 😊

[@darrylrichman]

A few years ago I was visiting a friend in Germany when I suddenly had a pretty intense pain in one of my incisors (front tooth). My friend took me to his dentist, who saw me pretty quickly and performed a root canal. Unfortunately, I'm pretty experienced with this procedure. I was concerned because I didn't know how much it would cost, my experience with dentists in the US is that this would be somewhere between $1-2k. The German dentist charged me 200€. That's what a cleaning and x-rays cost here.

[@emjayay]

Haha my dentist in the US charges $450 for that. But it's free to me on my medical insurance.

[@ferzbeitel6026]

Hahaha, the best thing is that in Germany dentists are considered to be some of the best earning type of doctors.

[@kai-uweoch1159]

Two years ago I had an event, where I didn't really wake up after a rest, that resulted in a visit in the emergency room. The suspicion was epilepsy. Over the next three months they did the full program of diagnostics on me, like an emergency CT scan while still in the ER, an MRT, several blood tests, ultrasonic check of the heart and other stuff. I paid something like 250-400SEK for every doctor's visit, so maybe 2000SEK altogether. Something like 200Euro. Or 200 USD. That's it. The rest is covered by the Swedish health care system, so by taxes which everyone pays, which are not cheap of course. But in those cases I need medical care I am very happy the system works that way and I am not financially ruined for the rest of my life. It's great to life in Europe and not in the US.

[@wora1111]

When I lived in Switzerland, I visited my family here in Germany and had to have some unexpected heart surgery done. My Swiss health insurance paid without me being involved. They only sent me a copy of the bill they had gotten from the hospital (which was already paid by them). It is called "civilisation". As opposed to "we are the best".

[@birgitlucci9419]

Well., within Europe, there are regulations between the countries and the insurance will reimburse the cost, they would cover in the home country and for the rest you will have a travel insurance

[@juergenurbas6395]

Wunderbar- das Video und dankenswert der glückliche Ausgang. 🙏. All the best to you and your Family

[@SonjaHamburg]

So glad that your mom recovered!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@KeesBoons]

Thank you for this personal story Ashton. Happy to hear mom is doing well. This is one of the topics that gets me riled up, whenever anyone even mentions privatization of the healthcare system. I think most European countries have a mixed system, where private companies have a role in healthcare, but are being kept in check by government bodies. I believe capitalism isn't a bad system for nice to have things, but a total disaster for need to haves on the other hand. Just hoping that we can keep our "social" medical care systems in Europe in good shape over the coming years and that the US improves it's track record.

[@scb2scb2]

Glad your mom is ok, I have shared this before on this channel. Over a period of 4 years i had to support (handle everything) for my mom, dad and sister when they all 3 got cancer and all 3 didn't make it. The care they got was perfect but life is not fair all the time. Within this almost continues period of handle stuff and being there for them not one moment did i think about the cost of the things that had to be done (netherlands). Why have a community (like a country) if you are not willing to share the costs of bad luck and common needs and be humane about it. This has very little todo with politics but in the end with companies. I love companies don't get me wrong but it is the task of a community to set the rules for companies coming in to protect the members against in the end greed. I wonder what the doctors in the states who looked at the bill from germany and compared/guessed what the bill would be if they had todo the same are thinking. Must be depressing for them to drive home knowing they are saving lives but at the same time convicting people to life of debt. Knowing that the bad luck their patients had turned into a profit engine for a small part of the community not because of real cost of his/her own income but mostly the overhead of the system they are working in.

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

Thanks for insight and the tastefull way you serve it 🥰 Story from the early 1990'es: Friend who'd emmigrated from Denmark was home on summer holiday. As Danes we have never ever thought about health insurance, and certainly not that you'd have to get one for going HOME 🙄 Alas, the son crashed his leg and had to be put in "a stretch" in the hospital for 5 weeks. The cost was enormous - for someone who'd never seen a hospital bill before 😉😉 Just lying in the bed cost close to 500 Euroes a day 😮 The staff brought the problem up with management. They discussed this dreadful situation, came back and said "The bed is on the house" 😍🤩🤩😍 They "only" had to pay for the surgery 😊 I've never told this story to a Dane without them feeling "good" about the hospital's conduct... Of cource they have to pay, but we don't want to be exorbitant 🤨 and we're pragmatic people 😂 so...

[@heaththeemissary3824]

It's great that your mom got the care she needed and she is recovered. For her to share this, as well as her Huntington's struggles, took courage and I admire her. I understand that there is such a thing as medical tourism to Cuba and Indonesia because the care there is excellent and far lower priced. At some point America is going to have to make some fundamental changes, structural changes, in how they care for their citizens.

[@Baccatube79]

As a German, what I'm appalled of most is how people can travel without insurance.

[@michaelgoetze2103]

I am surprised she struggled to get her US insurance to pay. I live in South Africa and all I need to do is inform my insurance where I am travelling and they will cover any emergency.

[@TypeAshton]

I wager a LOT of people don't travel with a special health insurance plan, especially when they are healthy. Either they presume their insurer will pay or that if something minor does happen it won't be that expensive. The only reason her US insurer did (eventually) pay was because she could prove that she did her due diligence before she left to get it taken care of before traveling overseas.

[@Baccatube79]

@@TypeAshton it's a shame. And they actually VOTE for people who make the situation worse

[@piekay7285]

@@TypeAshtonThe thing is that most Germans automatically are insured and even if they weren’t companies like the ADAC offer similar services.

[@jankrusat2150]

@@michaelgoetze2103 I assume that because of the Huntington's disease, they excluded neurological problems as preconditions.

[@JohnUbieta]

I've been a follower of this channel for more than a year and it just gets better all the time. This was a sensitive, personal video and I thank you for sharing it to show us the differences in health care between Germany and the US. I was having dinner while watching and when you said that the care your mother got in Germany would cost about quarter of a million dollars in the us (16:52) I almost chocked on my food. I'm not too optimistic our health care in the US will change anytime soon. A special thanks to your mom for sharing her experience with us and I wish her a great recovery. Looking forward to your next video.

[@CornyCF]

I have cystic fibrosis, a genetic metabolic disorder. People with this disease live an average of 10 years less in the USA than in Germany. The treatment is very, very expensive but allows the sick person to now live a somewhat normal life. I received 2 donor organs myself and the costs. This would have been unaffordable in the USA

[@TypeAshton]

While I would never wish for anyone to have to go what you went through, I am happy that you were able to receive such great care. As you mention, so many in the USA forego medical care due to cost with dire consequences.

[@CornyCF]

@@TypeAshton A mother who has a child with cystic fibrosis and lives in the USA reported on her experience. She says how expensive the insurance is and that not everything is covered. However, large pharmaceutical companies are said to offer discounts for such patient groups

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

I'm so happy this story had a happy ending. My grandmother had a similar experience (in the States) when she fell on some stairs, but sadly did not survive (she was 84 years old, however, and not in the best of health at the start). Your experience was certainly frightening and nerve-wracking. Thank goodness you are all still here and able to talk about what happened. Health insurance when traveling is one of the benefits I have with my credit cards, but if it weren't, I would certainly buy it before going to the States. I had to go to hospitals there twice during visits to my parents. I shuddered when I saw the bills, but the insurance reimbursed me without the least problem. Just the coverage for those two visits more than paid for the higher rates I paid for those credit cards over the 20 years I was going there every year.

[@franzfred7511]

Can you imagine that some people think it would be better to have the americab system here? And that they work actively to install it? I look at you Christian Lindner and Jens Spahn...

[@Melisendre]

Daran sollten wir denken wenn wir im Februar wählen gehen.

[@user-ky451]

Power corrupts. Neither are experts in their field. Beware of imposters

[@RivaDog1100]

Both Lindner and Spahn are clowns..

[@SharienGaming]

@@RivaDog1100 and so is trump... thats the problem we need to get these grifters out of positions of power

[@GH-te1no]

Erzählen Sie doch nicht so einen Unsinn. Das hier ist eine schöne Geschichte. Aber das ändert nichts an der Tatsache, dass unser Gesundheitssystem auf Dauer teuer und ineffizient ist. Warum brauchen wir 95 Krankenkassen mit Vorständen, die alle mind. 350.0000 Euro verdienen? Dazu 17 kassenärtzliche Vereinigungen, ebenfalls mit hohen Gehältern. Es muss auch nicht jedes Kaff ein Krankenhaus, das sämtliche Spezialitäten abdeckt. Wir marschieren auf einen KK-Beitrag von 20 % zu. Wo soll das hinführen? Die FDP ist die einzige Partei, die überhaupt noch einen Funken wirtschaftliche Vernunft mitbringt und wird als Korrektiv benötigt. Die beste Lösung wäre eine Basisversicherung, und jeder kann sich privat Zusatzversicherungen dazukaufen, wie er möchte. Das ist bei der Autoversicherung auch nicht anders. Und zu dem Fall hier: ja, das ist schön und nett und natürlich soll im Notfall geholfen werden, aber andererseits weiß ich auch nicht, warum der deutsche Steuerzahler Bürgern anderer Länder, die wohlhabend genug sind, um hier ihren Urlaub zu verbringen, den größten Teil solcher Kosten finanzieren soll, wenn versäumt wird, eine Reiseversicherung abzuschließen. Man meint, sich die Kosten für die Versicherung sparen zu können, und wenn etwas ist, sollen andere dafür aufkommen. Man sollte sich wenigstens die wirtschaftliche Leistungsfähigkeit ansehen und dann den Eigenanteil entsprechend anpassen. Diese Mär, dass "der Staat" alles bezahlt oder bezahlen kann, im Zweifel halt über Schulden finanziert, ist doch unhaltbar. Wohin Sozialismus führt, hat man doch schon etliche Male gesehen. Socialism of any type and shade leads to the Total destruction of the human spirit... Solzhenitsin.

[@user-raba]

My American neighbor worked in Germany for more than 20 years. His wife is a German. When he got retired his only wish was to move back to Florida to be close to his kids, who moved back to the US when they were out of university. Then he started to suffer from dementia and ALS. He still lives here in Germany. He is 100% dependent on care. Since he paid for health insurance in Germany his whole treatment is covered. Unthinkable in the US … if it comes to severe health issues the land of dreams is Germany … now tell me why 50% of Americans voted against better health care or why Bernie Sanders is continuously demonized with his fight for affordable healthcare? I don‘t get the point.

[@KSd9394j4h]

One interesting detail: Usually in Germany the hospitals have fixed prices they can settle with the universal health insurance for anything they have done for a patient. Only in certain cases they are allowed to charge a higher factor (therefore the column 'factor' on your bill). That's in most cases the parts that are not covered by insurance. If you have a private health insurance (or no insurance at all), they are allowed to settle 1.8x to 3.5x of the standard price for each regular service, and that's what they normally do. Private health insurances ususally refund that higher factor as well. But with no insurance you have to pay everything, including that extra amount. So I'm surprised that in your mom's case most services only got charged with factor 1. I do have a private health insurance and in almost 40 years I personally have never seen a bill like this. I'm not an expert. But it looks like the Freiburg clinic has really done everything legal to keep costs as low as possible. Even on their own cost. Maybe they know your channel and consider it as good publicity. :-)

[@gammaraygem]

A Belgian friend fell off a scaffold while volunteering building up a open air concert venue in Portugal. She had severe back/spine injuries. No insurance, no residence permit. She fully recovered and had to pay nothing.

[@TypeAshton]

That's amazing!

[@ovaskerri]

In the EU (+Norway, Swiss, UK...) generally the home health insurance in a member state (e.g. Germany) covers all emergency expenses as well in the other EU states (e.g. Spain). This is mandatory and usually all citizens with insurance have or can apply for an "EU health insurance ID card". This way you wouldn't even have to prepay any costs. Terms and conditions include mostly emergency treatment and costs are reimbursed as either the home insurance cost limits or the conditions of health insurance in the visiting state, but for the most part no co-pay or only very small amounts are left to pay out of pocket!

[@RealConstructor]

@@ovaskerriOur mandatory basic health insurance in The Netherlands reimburse only market-based (Dutch) tariffs for emergency care abroad. If you have an additional health insurance, it may cover a part of the rest and a travel insurance with healthcare costs will cover the rest, also the bill for repatriation if you are still incapable of traveling regularly. That’s why I have all three insurances when I go abroad, especially when I used to go to the US, because they don’t have market-based tariffs. For planned care in a foreign country you need approval beforehand from your health insurer.

[@videojuncky1514]

All the best for your mum and our family. Thanks for sharing this personal story.

[@Rsama60]

I have a travel health insurance for my entire family that cost me 12€/year. It covers multiple travels to non-EU counties for a duration up to 6 weeks per travel. I also lived in the US for some years back in the late 1990 early 2000. My employer a US company but I was an employee in the German plant with a German labor contract told us to stay in the German social security system while on the project in the US. I also was insured in the US. To avoid double costs for me I could expense all additional health insurance cost like co-payments, deductibles etc. So for me and my family health insurance in the US was actually free. But I was able to fully compare al the costs and I consider myself blessed to live in Germany.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Good to hear your mother is well and fine. Because that is the important part in healthcare service, providing healthcare.

[@MarkusWitthaut]

Thanks for the video and all the best to your mother! The US healthcare system works as designed. Most of the stakeholders are businesses: Most of the universities and colleges educating the doctors and nurses are privately owned. Doctors and nurses have to pay huge fees that they have to finance by going into debt. Banks offer loans and they profit from this - especially the top management and the shareholders. Insurance companies hire expensive lawyers (which are also needed to expensive to repay their student loans) to drive down costs, which is a major concern of their shareholders. The same is true for hospitals, medical device manufacturers and pharmaceuticals. Everybody is in it for the money. This capitalistic system leads to the imbalances visible in the US if the negotiation power between the involved parties (patients, doctors, nurses on the one hand versus managers and shareholders on the other side) is unequally distributed. I prefer the way chosen by many European countries: Pooling the negotiation power of individuals into government regulated organisation that negotiate with the companies and letting the whole society pay for the education of the doctors and nurses. The american political system and the voting behavior makes it very unlikely, that the USA will change its health care system.

[@andreasfischer9158]

Hospitals in Sweden are privately owned as well. From my limited experience, the system works quite well. There are quite some queues if you are not an emergency, though.

[@caelorum]

A large part of the Dutch healthcare sector is privately owned, but that does not mean that the market is not very, very, very regulated.

[@vtxgenie1]

Ultimately the profits of the banks, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies in the US make incredibly high profits, far and away above their costs, especially when much of the account handling and billing is automated now. Highly regulated private businesses are ok and can even add to the resources available for necessary services, but most European countries with cheap or free education and cheap or free available resources to cover human needs like food, healthcare, and housing (I'm not saying it's free to have a home of course, but in emergencies), allows for less stress about those basic needs. In the US I know that if I can't work and make money where I currently live, I'll be homeless, without food or clean water, and without healthcare except to stabilize in an emergency, there are no protections not tied to employment on a countrywide level, only occasional local programs.

[@dijikstra8]

@@andreasfischer9158 No there's one privately owned emergency hospital in Sweden, St Görans, it was a very well functioning before the privatization and advocates of private health care keep using it as an example. But much of the other non-emergency health care especially in the Stockholm region has unfortunately been privatized, and it has caused a disaster. The system is heavily fragmented and money flows out of the system to private profits. I have gone through this system many times and gone to everything from hole-in-the-wall doctor in an office complex who didn't even have any support staff to major clinics that are functioning like an assembly line with no time to hear out the patients concerns. In many areas of medicine we no longer even have the choice of public health care in Stockholm, it has all been privatized.

[@AlexRadler-bw9js]

Some years ago I had an accident and needed surgery and staying in the hospital for 8 weeks after, followed by rehab-clinic for another three weeks. After the accident I was brought to a privately-owned clinic. Later I was referred to a publicly-owned clinic. So I could make the observation that you can notice in Germany as well. If you happen to be treated in a privately-owned hospital you´ll notice that nursing will be worse than in publicly-owned hospitals. It´s things like having to bring and use your own towels vs. being given towels by the hospital, quality of food, less and lower paid personall for care and nuresing and stuff like this. Since privately-owned hospitals are getting the same fixed rates by the health-insurance they have to squeeze out the 8-10% Profit from something. My conclusion is: a health-care-system should not be privatised.

[@PaulFromCHGO]

@TypeAshton Thank you so very much for sharing this story and I am glad that your mom is doing much better. I also want to say how much I appreciate your sharing of the medical costs as I would have been terrified to know the bill in Germany as well under similar circumstances. I visited the EU last summer for a few months but was unable to get traveler's insurance (I am apparently uninsurable) so I had some nervousness at the prospect of something happening to me when in the EU. I am as of recently now a dual US / EU citizen and this story only reinforced my belief that the US healthcare system (even with insurance) is not very top notch unless you are wealthy. I plan to move to the EU within the next few years and I love to hear stories about how healthcare in the EU can be of very high quality.

[@andrewwedman3953]

For the quality of care, I think the premiums are also acceptable in Germany. We pay usually 7% of salary and there is a mandatory 7% paid by employers. (I know there are other plans for privat insurance but I do not want to go into this here.) My advice is always check your insurance situation before travelling and if necessary get extra coverage.

[@gilde915]

I went to the hospital here in Germany in March because i had serious pain in my knee......well it was not my knee, i had a arterial blockage in my leg and a light stroke, the pain was from the increasing pressure in my leg....a minor looking thing can have a serious cause...I learned my lesson, thankfully i recovered nearly completly, only need to pay more attention when using my legs.

[@feedalton5335]

In Germany physicians say: „Time is brain!“, you shouldn’t waste it! I wish you all the best and furthermore good recovery! Greetings from Germany! 💝

[@eyekona]

WTF, dont carry her ot the car! Call an Ambulance, let the professionals with equpment carry her! That was way to dangerous!

[@hendrickziegler8487]

Likely induced by the price worries as well. Ambulance rides alone are ridiculously expensive in the US.

[@journeyswithjodi621]

Thank-you for sharing. I am currently trying to move my family out of the US (one of the big reasons is healthcare), and we travel every couple of years with my MIL (70s) so it is good to have this information to share with them about WHY. So great that your mom is good to go.

[@philipkudrna5643]

There is a reason, why so many Olympic athletes had a full medical check up and had stuff fixed for free in Paris, because they wouldn’t have been able to afford it in the US. This is actually pretty pathetic for a „great nation“!

[@peterbruells28]

Providing free health care to athletes is an Olympic thing, though. First Olympics where that happened was in Los Angeles.

[@mads5000]

Glad to see your mother doing OK❤

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

Yeah, we don't need medical "tourists" to our publicly funded hospitals. The reason for the relatively low bill is that all the salaries for the staff is already being paid by taxes, or in Germany some of it by the insurance companies. It's a fixed expense, even when the doctors and nurses are idle. So taking in a patient with urgent need of attention is only slightly more expensive, they only charge for the actual time and equipment for the procedure. US hospitals don't get funded to be idling... so they have to add their idle expenses to the bills they hand out. On top of that, it's a known fact that US insurance companies pressure hospitals to keep their prices so high that the general public can't afford to not having insurance... If a hospital underbids the others too much, the insurance won't cover expenses if an insured patient goes to that hospital... it's basically blackmailing. Anyway, I'm happy to hear that your mom is good and well. The US deserves a more humane system where saving a life isn't just about keeping people alive enough to pay their bills. Edit: but that gets me thinking, when I wanna enter the US visa-free, it still requires me to have a travel insurance.. isn't that required the other way around?

[@lannifincoris6482]

she wasn't a medical tourist. As I understood, it was an emergency, you cannot plan an emergency...

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

@lannifincoris6482 I was referring to how she wouldn't encourage it, just agreeing with the video. Sorry if that could be misunderstood.

[@ClaudiaGila]

I would be very interested to hear how much your mom was billed in the US even after insurance. Great video as always!

[@maleboglia1775]

I have heard many Americans say that their healthcare system is broken. No, it's not!!! It works exactly as it was planned and designed, think about it!!!