DirtyOldTownMay 28

My kid just WhatsApped from his German exchange trip. They had to call an ambulance for him.

He has food poisoning, was very pale and nauseous. He was dehydrated and his blood pressure was dropping.

He's fine now but I wanted to share this because it has the most Western Europe Is a Civilized Place ending ever.

The paramedics came to the mall, took him into the ambulance, gave him an IV, checked him out, stayed with him until he felt better, then told him "No charge. Enjoy your trip to Germany." And if that wasn't enough, when they realized the group had had to move onto the train station without him, they gave him a ride over there to catch up with them.

I'm so ground down by the predatory realities of America in general in 2025 that this just about blew my fucking mind.

Show threadgreem

@dirtyoldtown I'm glad your son was treated like that.

Funny how concentrating on the patient and not the shareholders is such a massively different point of view!

Let's hope none of the German kids going the other way visit Taco Bell 😉

May 28 at 8:10pmWeb
Show threadsecid 🇩🇪May 29
@greem @dirtyoldtown
Our German health insurance "travels" with us and would pay for health expences in the USA, too.
Show threadWenAstarMay 29

@secid @greem @dirtyoldtown

I think you have to tell your public insurance before leaving for the US and you will get a paper stating what they stand in for. US medicine is famous for being overpriced from a German insurance point of view.

Show threadtessaraktMay 29
@secid @greem @dirtyoldtown Private health insurance? Yeah, probably.
Show threadsecid 🇩🇪May 29
@tessarakt @greem @dirtyoldtown
I was speaking of the normal health insurance for everybody - more or less public - with strict rules what to pay (or not). If you want to travel outside the EU you have to tell them in advance and you get a letter/certificate what will be payed for (e.g. in the US). This in any case includes any neccessary and reasonable treatment incl. meds.
Show threadtessaraktMay 29
@secid @greem @dirtyoldtown ah. Found this: https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/krankenversicherung-im-ausland.html - that seems to be only the case if you cannot get private insurance (e.g. due to preexisting conditions), and the reimbursement is limited to the costs in Germany.
Versicherungsschutz im Ausland

Grundsätzlich werden die Leistungen der GKV nur im Inland erbracht. Es gibt jedoch Ausnahmen

BMG
Show threadsecid 🇩🇪May 29
@tessarakt @greem @dirtyoldtown
You are right, you need a special add on travel insurance, which your normal health insurance would point out. IMHO good ones start at about 10-15€/year and they would cover a lot oft additional efforts up to bring a relative to you if you are hospitalized more than two weeks or, if neccessary, bring you back home for up to 10000€