This is the same system that the PM tried to overhaul in 2006 and fell flat on her face politically so she eventually just upped the manditory requirement each person pays?

A lot of people have a lot of good things to say about the system.  It works a lot like US Social Security.  They also say it has the same big problem... it isn't sustainable.  Do the math.  The population is getting older, more are retiring, and the basic costs as a percentage of income are increasing.

And you also have to make a fair comparison.  Germany is smaller though its only like 25% of the size of the US.  It still makes a difference in distribution.   But the big thing is that it works because its a manditory 14% of your salary.  That means it takes more then the 6.2% you pay in the US for SS, it even takes more when you add the other 6.2 the employer adds.    If you make 50,000/yr that's almost $7500 out of your check before you see it.  If you make 20,000/yr you are still paying almost $3000.   With the amount going to taxes already, you'd never get that system accepted in the US.


All that said, I'd rather not argue about health care here unless we are talking about retirement plans for old adventurers or collecting for the goblin's widow fund.