Oct 17, 2019

The state of play in Germany's health care system

German vaccination certificate for the flu

Photo: Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance/Getty Images

In Germany's health care system, even universal coverage paired with low out-of-pocket costs hasn't led to equitable health outcomes among rich and poor people, NPR reports with Kaiser Health News.

Why it matters: Medical care is only one component of a person's health. Social determinants of health are hugely important and factor strongly into a population's well-being. "Universal health care, in and of itself, may be a first step toward increasing a community's health, but it isn't a magical solution," writes KHN's Shefali Luthra.

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