Actor Heinz Hoenig needs an operation that he cannot afford. The legislature actually created a regulation 15 years ago to prevent such cases. But there are gaps in the system.
A seriously ill 72-year-old man who cannot afford a potentially life-saving heart operation because he does not have health insurance – the fate of actor Heinz Hoenig has been affecting the public for days. To finance his procedure, prominent friends have initiated a fundraising campaign and have so far collected more than 150,000 euros. A private initiative steps in because the welfare state is failing? That doesn’t sound like Germany. Are American conditions threatening us? she asked Picture -newspaper shuddering.