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Two words: German Romanticism. Although the article‘s premise seems reasonable (given the author‘s origin, the USA, being renown as prone to prescribe pain kil
by woodpanel 9y ago
Two words: German Romanticism.
Although the article‘s premise seems reasonable (given the author‘s origin, the USA, being renown as prone to prescribe pain killers and psychotropics for the most menial things[1]) - a similar bias must be outlined when trying to understand the German perspective: That we are still romanticists.
Many German doctors will send you off with „some rest“ and „tea“. Some will prescribe homeopathics, which are to some extend even covered by our universal healthcare, which makes „sense“ since a large part of the electorate believes in it. Even in IT you will regularly hear: „i feel like I’m getting a cold - better take my homeopathics quick or it will definitely evolve into one!“
Alternative healthcare is a big market here, many individuals spending 100s - 1000s € a year for the most obscure things. Which doesn’t sound much per se, but for Romanticism Germans who regularity castigate Pharma- and Medical industries as capitalistic, to throw money so willingly away kind of beats the purpose of coming across as mindful.
Anyone remembers the the Mitchell and Webb sketch about the „homeopathic ER“? Well fun fact: the Nazis did try to make this happen. In order to get rid off the evil, jewish (science based) medicine. They wanted to make homeopathy the official medicine of the Reich - including the Wehrmacht, which for better or worse, the Generals intervened against.
[1] I have no proofs for this being actually true, just the representation that the US medical system gets by German media - and many Americans
- andrewksl 9y agoWhoa, seriously? Actual medical doctors will prescribe government-paid homeopathy?
- woodpanel 9y agoYes, they will. But to clarify: it’s not mandated or anything. It’s rather „good business practice“ aided by being covered by healthcare.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 9y agoYes. Especially if the patient has the above-mentioned "need to take something" because just waiting it out is not a sufficiently palatable option (even if it is the only one). But IIRC you got to pay it yourself in many cases.
- cunningfatalist 9y agoAlmost never. You have to specifically search out those doctors. Or avoid them. Sadly, many Germans believe in homeopathy...
- jagermo 9y agoNot really. Some insurances offer to take the cost of homeopathy, but no doctor will prescribe "crystals" or other new age stuff. Are there black sheeps? Yes, like in every profession. How a doctor reacts depends highly depends on the illness. If you have a cold, your doctor will recommend some tea and rest, but if you have a tonsillitis, you will get anti-biotics. And there is no such thing as a pain index.
- Derbasti 9y agoThis is not true. Doctors do not and must not prescribe Homeopathic stuff in Germany. If it is payed for by the government/healthcare, it has to be proven effective.
- woodpanel 9y agoIt is. There are many doctors openly advertising being open to alternative medicine. Nowhere did I say „they must“. They can though, and often will since patients who believe in Homeopathy will often choose another doctor if theirs isn‘t „into“ it.
- Double_a_92 9y agoIt's the same in Switzerland. Health Insurances pay for that shit... sigh
- germanier 9y agoIt is paid for voluntarily by many public health insurers as a so-called Satzungsleistung.
- Toboe 9y agoAs an example, here is what the Technikerkrankenkasse says about it (german)[0] And an overview by Focus (german)[1] [0] https://www.tk.de/techniker/service/leistungen-und-mitgliedschaft/leistungen/alternative-medizin/homoeopathie/kosten-homoeopathie-2002136 https://www.tk.de/techniker/service/leistungen-und-mitglieds... [1] https://www.focus.de/finanzen/versicherungen/krankenversicherung/zusatzleistung-84-kassen-zahlen-fuer-homoeopathie-ist-ihre-dabei_id_6757634.html https://www.focus.de/finanzen/versicherungen/krankenversiche...
- Double_a_92 9y ago> homeopathics Ah the good 1000€ per kilo magic sugar... I can't understand how healthcare can cover that!
- jagermo 9y agoHealthcare does not. Some insurances do, but you can opt to switch do another.
- woodpanel 9y agoNot "some". Out of 110 existing "statutory health insurance companies" 84 cover Homeopathy [1][2]. They aren't required to do so, but are by law explicitly allowed to cover it [3], which is weird enough. And as the numbers suggest, most of them happily do because it attracts many Germans, especially the well-offs. [1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_deutscher_Krankenkassen https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_deutscher_Krankenkassen [2] https://www.focus.de/finanzen/versicherungen/krankenversicherung/zusatzleistung-84-kassen-zahlen-fuer-homoeopathie-ist-ihre-dabei_id_6757634.html https://www.focus.de/finanzen/versicherungen/krankenversiche... [3] http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__2.html http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__2.html
- kelnos 9y agoWhen I feel like I'm getting a cold, I take a multivitamin (or at least some vitamin C), maybe a Dayquil/Nyquil, and try to sleep as soon as I can. Nearly always solves the problem. The homeopathy prescriptions are baffling to me. Have any of these gone through clinical trials? If not, I assume the doctors must be hoping for a placebo effect when they feel that prescribing something actually effective is overkill. At least I hope that's what's happening.
- woodpanel 9y agoAFAIK not a single homeopathic treatment beats placebos in clinical trials. But "universal healthcare" to some extend means that the electorate can decide "what's right". By law, the public insurances are explicitly allowed to cover homeopathy. Weird enough, but understandable if a large chunk (and generally more important chunk) of voters are also Homeopathy adherent patients. While Homeopathic doctors are by no means the majority here, the majority of "science" doctors will shy away as much as possible from confronting their patients with their stance on alternative medicine.