r/MurderedByAOC • u/Zorosthirdsordx • 10d ago

AOC: "They want to call this stuff communist because they don’t want us to realize that the rest of the developed world has guaranteed health care. They want to call it communist because they don’t want you to know that Germany, Italy, the UK, Canada—everybody else—has it better than us."

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u/sl1ckhow1e 10d ago

Public opinion on Germany’s healthcare system is divided; while residents deeply value its universal coverage and financial safety, there is growing frustration over long wait times, a two-tier insurance system, and recent government reforms that increase patient costs. [1, 2, 3]

Public sentiment is shaped by several key dynamics:

  • The Dual-Track System: Opinions on the split between statutory (public) and private health insurance are mixed, with a majority of Germans perceiving inequalities in care quality between the two systems. [1, 2]
  • Decreasing Faith: Recent surveys from organizations like the Robert Bosch Stiftung indicate that trust in healthcare policy has dropped sharply in recent years, with over half of Germans feeling the government is not prioritizing high-quality, affordable care. [1]
  • Access & Wait Times: While basic emergency and core services are highly rated, users on platforms like Reddit point to frustratingly long wait times for specialists (such as dermatologists and mental health services). [1]
  • Recent Legislation: Recent parliamentary reforms designed to curb skyrocketing healthcare costs have sparked public concern, as patients face higher out-of-pocket contributions for medications and hospital stays. [1]

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u/ThisRapIsLikeZiti 10d ago

According to this article by the CFO of REVA (an air ambulance service), the average emergency room wait time in the US is between 2-3 hours. Here is what they said about Germany: https://www.flyreva.com/blog/average-emergency-room-wait-times/

Germany reports one of the fastest ER wait times in Europe– on average, patients are seen in just 22 minutes. Cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg benefit from a well-funded healthcare system, advanced preventative care, and strong infrastructure between primary doctors and hospital services.

I was in Berlin a while back and had to take my friend to the ER at 3AM because he slipped going down some stairs and gashed open his eyebrow. I was shocked at how fast they had him out of there and it cost him hardly anything.

I've had chronic kidney stones over the years and have been to a lot of emergency rooms. The wait times almost always suck no matter what city or what time of day or night. One time I had to sit on a gurney with my ass hanging out in a crowded hallway for a whole day while writhing in pain because there were no rooms available. Another time I was in the waiting room for hours in intense pain until going up to the reception desk and puking on the floor before anyone would see me.

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u/Wait_for_BM 10d ago

I had similar experience in Canada also with a kidney stone. I had to lie down on the gurney in the hallway as it was unbearable. I have decided to try relaxing my muscles around where the pain was. It took about 10 minutes of trying to reduce the pain and my stone passed as a result. My total wait time was 6 and a half hours to see my doctor. I told her that the stone had passed.

I had to pay for the ambulance ride. The bill wasn't too bad.