>>While I think having insurance against surprizing/untypical cost is a good thing,
>>nearly totally free medical service IMHO is an aim overshooting and thereby creating a worse system.
>>
>>People should always be prepared to pay between 20~30% of annual income for medical cost out of their own pocket -
>>perhaps via by an always decrasing part of the total bill to keep the incentive alive for a longer stretch -
>>making certain that they keep their health and the cost of the service firmly in their own mind.
>>Making brushing your teeth a better option than a total exchange at middle age cost wise as well ;-)
>>
>
>20-30% a year out of pocket?! You consider that reasonable? I say this in the nicest possible way, but you're nuts ;-)
>You know you are one of my favorites here so you know that reaction is to the point, not the person.

I should have specified that this percentage should not be the level for continuing years, but a local maximum
Consider a typical employee earning ~40K€, having to fork over ~6K€ anually.
Also there is a small fee each quarter if you visist a doctor and some % of medicamentation.

Now let the pure insurance against very high cost drop to ~2K€: your normal medical bill will be less than 1K€ per year.
Give tax breaks if up to 4K€ per year if the sum is entered into a special kind of account only usable for medical stuff,
but make patients pay their own bills, making them aware of the cost for the service they receive.
In case of an accident or expensive illness you should be able to pay up to personal max out of the earmarked funds,
as even higher cost will be reimbursed by the insurance against high cost.

I realize that perhaps some stingy people will not go as often to the doctor as it might be best from pure medical POV.
But the effect of people looking after cost themselves IMHO will be beneficial in reducing unnecessary cost,
offsetting the bad effects from line 1 of this paragraph..
I definately believe that the pareto principle holds here as well:

>What is the reaction there to the soccer match yesterday? There were some pretty glum looking Germans in the stands on TV in the second half.

Typical german approach: Weltschmerz and blame the coach.
No matter how high they elevated him for changing the setup against Greece.
But perhaps I am too much of a statistician to have been certain Germany would win this time:
estimating that reaching quarter finals and winning each of the following games has a probability of ~.85
gives you only about even odds in total, whereas ~.75 will give you less than a third.

While reaching quarter finals may have had probability of .85, chances of winning against
top teams like Italy, England, France, Spain or even perhaps Portugal or Netherlands again
in elimination round was certainly less than .85 for each game ;-)

But OTOH I personally don't feel that "I have won" if german team wins in soccer,
as I was not even once sweating with the guys in training and only seldom kick a ball soccer-wise.
Also drinking/partying just because others win or loose is not for me as well.
I will watch interesting games (or other sports), but will get emotionally attached/moved only
if I trained at least once with the participants or a sibling takes part ;-)

It worries me a bit that I watch more sports now and am less active myself.
GF only advises me to act my age or offers to go shopping instead ;-)

regards

thomas