Is it true that the German health plan does not permit surgery over age 75?

[Peregrine Took]

They will be given all manner of drugs but no surgery. I heard a local AM radio bloviator say this today as he had recently spoken to a man just back from Germany.

Also retirement is mandatory at age 65 in order to open up jobs for the youths however companies get around this by not hiring and plowing the money into research.

Youthful hiring is avoided as much as possible as in economic downturns German employers must pay 50% of the wages while the government pays the balance.

[MineralMan]

1. I don't think so. I tried a number of Google searches, and found

nothing that said that. Germany has discussed various sorts of health care rationing, but I don't believe that what you describe is currently in place there. If it were, I think I would have found a reference to it. I'm a very good searcher.

[Peregrine Took]

3. I searched myself and 'could't find anything either.

Thanks for trying though...

[MineralMan]

7. Did you hope to find something? What is said by an

"AM radio bloviator" is probably not true. Being unable to find a reference that supports the bloviator is enough. If the practice actually existed, you'd find plenty, and quickly.

Try assuming that the "AM radio bloviators" are full of crap, and you'll save yourself a lot of time.

[marmar]

2. "I heard a local AM radio bloviator"

Therein lies your problem.

[Peregrine Took]

4. Yes but even a broken clock is right, etc.

[lovuian]

5. I don't think its true I have seen my relative 80 in the

hospital from a Trauma...he had knee surgery
He was in excellent health and their hospital system was amazing

our system is all about MONEY their system is about good care

and No I don't believe a 90 year old should go for bypass surgery ...but that is what our system does

It is not about quality of life or good care

its about MONEY

[Taverner]

6. Lies, lies, Capitalist Lies

Germany is cradle to grave coverage, as is the UK, France, most of Europe for that matter.

Transplants are a little harder to come by, but that's about it

[RC]

8. Sounds more like the United States.

[gratuitous]

9. I don't know if that's true

But I would be willing to bet that there is supplemental insurance that a person can buy to cover surgery past age 75. This is one of the points that I dearly wish would be made. By necessity, a single payer health plan makes choices on what should be covered and what shouldn't be covered. If five people out of the 300 million folks in the country need a particular drug or procedure, the chances are pretty good that the basic health plan wouldn't cover it, if it was expensive enough. Now, that's bad for those five people, but it helps keep a handle on the costs for everyone else.

However, the Holy and Omniscient Invisible Hand of the Free Market will move into the spaces, and insurance companies will surely offer supplemental insurance for people who aren't covered by the basic health plan. There will surely also be "premium" health insurance policies for sale - and doctors and clinics who will participate - so that folks who want to can pay to jump to the front of the line and be seen immediately.

What's being proffered by a national health plan is a floor, not a ceiling. People who suspect something is wrong with them can go for treatment right away instead of waiting for it to become a catastrophic condition. People who don't want to wait in line with the hoi polloi can pay extra and be served by boutique clinics catering to the high end consumers.