The principal features of the German and" the British national health-insurance systems are given in the next outlines, the principle points being arranged in such a way as to facilitate comparison of the two systems:
The German sickness insurance system. - The German sickness insurance system has been in operation since 1883, and could properly be looked at as thoroughly typical of the systems of social insurance in Europe, Its fundamental features, as shown in the 1911 code, so far as they provided for sickness insurance, may be outlined briefly as follows:
1. Insured persons:
(a) Members: All workmen, helpers, journeymen, apprentices, persons engaged in home-working industries, and servants are compelled without regard to income to be insured; all the persons employed and earning 2,500 marks ($595) per year or less.
(6) Voluntary members: Anybody whose income is 4,000 marks ($952) per year or less.
2. Contributions to funds:
(a) By whom: Insured persons contribute two-thirds; one-third is contributed by employers.
(B) The cost of supervision is borne by the Imperial and State Governments.
(c) There is absolutely no limit fixed for contributions by regulations, but one is implied in the statement that they may not be raised above 4J % of the basic wage except under unusual conditions.
(d) Collections of contributions: Employers are held accountable for all contributions of their employees, with the privilege of deducting the employees? share from wages.
3. Benefits:
(a) The law specifically states that "the huge benefits are not public charities." The rights to benefits begin with membership.
(& wink Medical benefits include health care, medicines, and appliances in home hospital, sanatorium, and office as required, however they are limited by 26 weeks is twelve months. These benefits are administered by local societies, which contract with one or more physicians and hospitals.
(c) Cash benefits: You start with the fourth day of disability, day one-half the basic wage is purchased each working, never to exceed 26 weeks in a single year. When delivered to hospital, the cash benefit is stopped unless it really is required for support of dependents.
(d) Maternity benefits: Benefits add up to the cash benefits described above are given for insured persons or wives of insured persons during confinement for an interval of 2 months, of which 6 must be after delivery, and may be extended to 12 weeks if mother nurses child. The same cash benefits are provided for 6 weeks for disability incident to pregnancy.
(e) Funeral benefits: Benefit equal to 20 days' pay at the basic day wage.
4. Administration: Generally, the complete system of social insurance, which includes not merely sickness insurance but also accident and invalidity, is provided for in a single code.
((f) There exists a governmental supervisory system consisting of (1) the imperial insurance office; (2) the superior insurance office, for districts roughly corresponding to your judicial districts, which might or may not include an entire State; (3) the neighborhood Insurance Office, for districts which roughly match our county or large city. This supervisory system is governmental, although each of the three kinds of offices are composed of representatives of the federal government, the employers, and the employees.
(6) The specific administration of the funds is left to local organizations called " funds," which are " local," " rural," " establishments," " guild," and " miners." The membership of these " funds " is composed of the Insured persons, and the management is in the hands Health Insurance Exchange of directorates composed of one-third employers and two-thirds Insured persons.
(1) Whenever the employers contribute just as much as one-half of the funds, they're eligible for one-half representation in the directorate.
(2) Provision is made for federations of " funds " for the purposes of establishment of hospitals, sanatoria, convalescent homes, along with other purposes to lessen overhead expenses.
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