Mastodawn

Alun Jones May 29

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.

DirtyOldTown May 28

My fellow Americans...

oom-killer: localhost: kernel pid: 333 May 28

@dirtyoldtown

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

sounds like it's time for you to move to germany. they accept refugees i read somewhere.

Januschka Abroad May 28

@jae @dirtyoldtown

the newly elected government led by 'chrisitan democrats' wants less migration and people already in the country fleeing civil war cannot get their family (partner, children) in. World shifting to the right, 'christian' politicians gladly helping....

@jae @dirtyoldtown not if you supported Palestine.

The Grue May 29

@jae @dirtyoldtown Oh, yes, we do. If they are #white, well off #Christmas, that is.

If they are desperate #refugees from #africa, for example, who have seen and lived in hell, they can go drown in the Mediterranean, according to our Christian #politicians.

And it's getting worse.

(Sorry for being bitter)

mirabilos Jun 6

@dirtyoldtown @jae hahaha the fscking new government doesn’t

@dirtyoldtown glad your kid is okay!

This isn't an America thing, just a US thing.

People mentioned Canada before and also here in Brazil locals and tourists alike have free healthcare access via SUS (Unified Health System, free nationwide coverage and taxpayer funded)!

aburka 🫣May 29

@cadusilva @dirtyoldtown I dunno, sounds sus

Von Xylofon May 29

@dirtyoldtown Ayn Rand would be so proud the USA beat all the freeloaders and finally achieved the enlightened state that puts no barriers to the honest billionaire to run his business.

@dirtyoldtown
I sympathise. I am also bemused by the US competitiveness with the UK; every time we screw up the US has to go one better, or rather one worse.

ricardo vacapinta May 28

@dirtyoldtown Oh man, glad he is ok. Those street Currywursts will get you! :)

@dirtyoldtown I'm so glad to know that he's doing all right. And yes, that is very much how civilized places should work!

Joe Heafner May 28

@dirtyoldtown @mcnado The U.S. has become anything but civilized, and it's been this way a long time.

DC Deejay 🇨🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦May 28

@dirtyoldtown Glad he's ok, and FWIW I'd expect he'd get similar care & hospitality in Canada.

@dcdeejay @dirtyoldtown had to call an ambulance once in Canada and it was a really good experience!

UrbanEdm May 29

@dcdeejay @dirtyoldtown Care yes, Free no. Even as a Canadian, I'd be charged for the ambulance. They are public and do provide services to people who can't pay, but will charge anyone who can.

DC Deejay 🇨🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦May 29

@UrbanEdm A Canadian who can pay, of course. An adult on vacation, sure. A foreign student separated from his class on a field trip? You must be in favour of giving out loose shelled peanuts to neighbourhood kids on Halloween. @dirtyoldtown

UrbanEdm May 29

@dcdeejay @dirtyoldtown I dunno...I first found out that ambulances cost money when I was 14 and was out on my bike by myself.

It's not a question of what I'm in favour of, it's the way things are. They're going to be looking for someone to bill.

DC Deejay 🇨🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦May 29

@UrbanEdm Sure, but that's not the situation in this rare and fairly unique case. I don't know *anyone* whose first instinct would be anything other than to treat a student on a class trip in their country like they would want their own child treated in the same circumstances. @dirtyoldtown

Epistomai May 29

@dcdeejay @UrbanEdm @dirtyoldtown In Canada is illegal not to give health care to visitors, it's in the Human Rights Act I believe

@UrbanEdm @dcdeejay @dirtyoldtown in most of western Europe ambulances are paid over your taxes. It might be a private company running the service, but the bills are not paid by the patient. Transport to and from the hospital is another matter. You pay for that yourself, unless you are very ill.

@dirtyoldtown It’s so messed up that every. single. aspect. of our lives is ruled by oligarchs saying, how can I take advantage of your plight to extract as much money as possible from you.

The concept of a public good, or services simply for service’s sake is so foreign to the United States.

yuhasz01 May 29

@aburtch @dirtyoldtown

In my life time , government public service has atrophied into "self service" for personal financial gain.

Greed, intolerance and bigotry are the hallmarks of our nation right now.... Pathetic

@aburtch @dirtyoldtown

The REALLY messed up thing is that the oligarchs are working very hard at exporting this to all other countries. And I'm not even talking about Trump, this has been going on so many many years. And thanks to facebook and twitter, you have almost succeeded. The fascists are about to take over europe so you better do your visits now, healthcare won't be the same next time. Thankyou very much. Stop exporting your madness!

mossyrua May 28

One of your compatriots visited our tiny Irish ☘️ village doctor a few years back with a nasty gash to her hand. The GP declared she needed stitches and said “it’s OK I’ll run you to the local ER” and stayed with her till she was seen, went into the city did his business and then collected her and brought her to her hotel.

She was in her late 60’s

Again.

No charge

Billiglarper May 28

Glad to hear he's ok.

@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 😉

secid 🇩🇪May 29

@greem @dirtyoldtown
Our German health insurance "travels" with us and would pay for health expences in the USA, too.

WenAstar May 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.

tessarakt May 29

@secid @greem @dirtyoldtown Private health insurance? Yeah, probably.

secid 🇩🇪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.

tessarakt May 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

secid 🇩🇪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€

Peter Krefting May 28

@dirtyoldtown @lachralle This is why paying taxes is cool.

GeraintLlanfrancheta May 28

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle exactly

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

To be fair, Americans pay taxes, too ( and it's often a lot closer to European rates than you'd think), but all of that money is redistributed to oligarchs.

Us taxes absolutely are wealth redistribution, but it's primarily from the middle class to the ultra wealthy.

@Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle
In fact, US government spending on healthcare is similar to or higher than government spending on healthcare in Germany

@sabik @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

That's nto surprising, really. The Us economy has devolved into a rent seeking economy in recent years

Deus Figendi.jwd May 29

@sabik @Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

per capital or in total?
Asking for a friend.

But the German health care system is mainly based on insurances (which everyone has to have by law), so it's not financed by the government.

@deusfigendi @Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle
Per capita or as a percentage of GDP, pretty much any other country in OECD or so

The US healthcare system just costs twice what comparable systems cost in other countries, for somewhat mediocre outcomes

@sabik @Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle makes sense, a lot of money doesn't go to healthcare at all, but to shareholders and CEO's. Those are all additional costs

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

Social Insurance and Sales taxes are about half as high in the US as the EU, but property taxes make up for a LOT of that difference, since they're generally several thousand dollars a year.

Income taxes, on the other hand cap out at 49% if you live in California (and roughly the same in New York city, which has a municipal income tax as well as state and federal), because you pay income tax both to the State and Federal government.

BenAveling May 28

@nafmo @lachralle @dirtyoldtown I love paying taxes. Best investment going.

@BenAveling @nafmo @lachralle @dirtyoldtown It would be, if we weren't now in the grip of kleptocrats using our tax dollars to buy crypto and make it disappear...

U.Lancier May 28

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle Paying taxes is cool when those taxes are used reasonable by the country.

But then food poisoning is a very rare incident in Germanys hospitality industry, especially in food courts in malls. There are strict and enforced rules concerning hygiene and products. If food poisoning happens its origins and reasons are researched by the authorities and consequences happen. A shop owner in a mall might quite likely lose his lease as such incidents will threaten business for all shops.

Bodo Menke May 29

@Ulan_KA @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle To add on that: The likelihood of getting a food poisoning from a public food place in Germany I would estimate extremely low, e.g. once in a lifetime.
However, good to hear all went well.
Thanks for sharing encouraging news from Germany while we struggle with political assholes in our country as well.

igorette May 29

@Ulan_KA @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle There is also "food poisoning" by beer
It's Germany we are talking about

Björn 🇪🇺 Starkimarm May 29

And this is why regulations are also cool ^^

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

U.Lancier May 29

@Starkimarm @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle Regulations are cool – if they are able to achieve the goal for which they were intended.

Progress or new or better knowledge in some fields can make (or just make obvious) some regulations unnecessary or plain wrong.
E.g. the use of cellphones aboard a plane or laws concerning the use of marihuana, laws derived from religions or from outdated societal norms like fashion or the role of females.

@Ulan_KA @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

Well poisoning was the worst crime that could be committed in medieval & post medieval Germany and I leave the punishment to your imagination.

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

You’re right about taxes!

Medical treatment in Germany, however, is free not because of taxes. It’s because health insurance is mandatory for most of the population, and not run by private for-profit companies but on a solidarity principle.

All of us working people have to pay a substantial part of our income into it. No choice. And that’s a good thing. One car accident or cancer diagnosis could ruin one otherwise. No healthy community can want that.

@dirtyoldtown this is one of the most important things: if we get ill in germany, you have a lot of care. not everything, but all you need for the day2day care (if it is food poisoning, a broken bone, whatever), there is care - and it is free. this gives you such a good feeling and some kind of "quiet mood", we love it.

Michal Bryxí May 28

@dirtyoldtown Same in Czechia.