Private Health Insurance in West Germany and Great Britain

In recent months there has been growing discussion in the United States on the introduction of some form of national healt,h insurance under government sponsorship. Some of the proposals provide for the continued existence of private health insurance and even for considerable expansion within the context of a government-operated scheme. It is interesting to note in this connection that in both the Federal Republic of Germany and Great Britain, which have long had comprehensive public medical care systems, private health insurance continues to play a role. Private health insurance is somewhat more important in Germany where, according to the latest figures, more than one-tenth of the population, mainly in the higher income groups, is still largely ineligible for public health insurance and depends on private carriers for basic coverage. In that country there is also a rapidly growing system of private health insurance that supplies supplemental medical services to those who seek coverage for services in addition to the basic items paid for by the public scheme. about one-sixth of the population now contracts for such coverage. In Great Britain, a much smaller proportion of the population carries private insurance.