In a California Healthline Special Report, German Health Minister Ulla Schmidt explained how a recent overhaul of the German health care system could provide lessons for stakeholders in California’s ongoing health care reform debate.
Germany this year launched a new universal coverage initiative that pools all health care contributions and redistributes funds to health plans based on financial risk. As in the California debate, German policymakers struggled to balance market forces, quality and access to health care.
The Special Report also includes comments from:
- Mark Smith, CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation; and
- Hanh Quach, a health policy coordinator for Health Access California (Rebillot, California Healthline, 8/6).
CHCF is the publisher of California Healthline.