Posted on 01/24/2007 2:46:50 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Expected to soon pass in parliament, Germany's "Wettbewerbsstärkungsgesetz" (the "law to strengthen competition" in the health-care sector) leaves the central flaw in Germany's health-care system in place, says the Wall Street Journal.
Under the law:
** Private insurers would be forced to provide certain people with "basic" insurance at a discount.
** Insurers cannot refuse people who used to be privately insured but are now without coverage, those who are privately insured and are either above the age of 55 or have difficulties paying their premiums or anybody who wants to switch from the public system.
** The bill also caps the premiums for this basic insurance at around €500 ($650) a month, even if the customer's risk profile would demand a higher rate.
In order to finance such "reforms," insurers would have to raise premiums for other customers by between 10 percent and 12 percent, according to estimates by an industry association. This would make regular polices less attractive and increase incentives among customers to switch to the "basic" coverage. The snowball effect could drive some insurers out of the market.
It is of course the government's right to legislate "basic" health-care coverage in its social policy, if it so chooses, says the Journal. But this kind of policy usually gets paid out of the state budget. To ask private companies to cough up the money directly, and even put their business in serious jeopardy, goes against the very idea of free enterprise.
Source: Editorial, "Wettbewerbsstärkungsgesetz," Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2007.
For text:
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Why bother? You'll be dead before you can finish pronouncing it.
Gesundheit!
You do .... and you clean it up
Gute Fahrt!
Sammenausstossendesgassenschlampendienstlistungenimportueberschuss, gel?
One more reason to be glad those people did not take over the world;)
zer gut
I see your Wettbewerbsstärkungsgesetz and raise you a Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung (that's speed limit).
Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften?
Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz?
fuggeddaboudditt
This thread got hijacked in its title!
holzenfrafloppen (a bra)
etz'at ma klur, gel? I muss schauen, dass ich weiterkomm. Oarchs'kaetzle'schwarf, denn.
The law was introduced by Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern -schplenden -schlitter -crasscrenbon -fried -digger -dangle -dungle -burstein -von -knacker - thrasher -apple -banger -horowitz -ticolensic -grander -knotty -spelltinkle -grandlich -grumblemeyer -spelterwasser - kurstlich -himbleeisen -bahnwagen -gutenabend -bitte -ein -nürnburger -bratwustle -gerspurten -mit -zweimache - auuber -hundsfut -gumberaber -shönendanker-kalbsfleisch -mittler -aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.
I don't know if the law pertains to companies providing legal liability services, or
whether it includes the costs or liabilities of those responsible for monitoring meat labels.
Close?
yitbos
And a happy Klaatubaradaniikto to you too! :)
Another popular child's game consists of building a noun compound. The first child starts with a noun or more commonly already a compound (Donaudampfschifffahrtskapitän (Danube Steamboat captain) is somewhat popular and infamous).
The next child has to append another noun so that the compound still has a sensible meaning (Example: Donaudampfschifffahrtskapitän -> Donaudampfschiffahrtskapitänsmütze (Danube Steamboat captain's hat) -> Donaudampfschifffahrtskapitänsmützenfabrik (Danube Steamboat captain's hat factory, and so on).
The game ends when the next child cannot think of a word to append that would yield a meaningful compound.
That may explain something about the Germans.
Continue with destruct mission, I say again, continue with destruct mission...
LOL
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