TY - JOUR
T1 - Health care and the labor market
T2 - Learning from the German experience
AU - Amelung, Volker
AU - Glied, Sherry
AU - Topan, Angelina
PY - 2003/8
Y1 - 2003/8
N2 - Many observers have begun to question the U.S. reliance on an employment-based private health insurance system. In thinking about the future of this system, it is instructive to examine the German experience. The German health insurance system is almost entirely organized and financed around the labor market. In recent years, the German labor market has changed in several ways. Among other changes, more German women now work, the proportion of retirees in the population has increased, the share of manufacturing in employment has declined, and the economy has become more open. These labor market changes have made it more difficult to organize health insurance around employment in Germany. Recent changes in the German health insurance system have, to some extent, decoupled health insurance from employment. This decoupling is likely to continue as the labor market changes further. We explore the implications of this experience for the United States.
AB - Many observers have begun to question the U.S. reliance on an employment-based private health insurance system. In thinking about the future of this system, it is instructive to examine the German experience. The German health insurance system is almost entirely organized and financed around the labor market. In recent years, the German labor market has changed in several ways. Among other changes, more German women now work, the proportion of retirees in the population has increased, the share of manufacturing in employment has declined, and the economy has become more open. These labor market changes have made it more difficult to organize health insurance around employment in Germany. Recent changes in the German health insurance system have, to some extent, decoupled health insurance from employment. This decoupling is likely to continue as the labor market changes further. We explore the implications of this experience for the United States.
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U2 - 10.1215/03616878-28-4-693
DO - 10.1215/03616878-28-4-693
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12956520
AN - SCOPUS:0042471956
SN - 0361-6878
VL - 28
SP - 693
EP - 714
JO - Journal of health politics, policy and law
JF - Journal of health politics, policy and law
IS - 4
ER -