The case of Heinz Hönig, who fell ill, stirred up emotions. If you don’t have health insurance, it’s your own fault – that’s the prejudice. Cornelia S.’s story shows: It can happen to anyone.
The 57-year-old architect Cornelia S. wrote to the starafter an article appeared there about why people in Germany still have no health insurance coverage today: “It’s not just the homeless or those who withdraw from the solidarity community that are affected, but also people like me and my family,” said S.
Reason for the star-Article was the fate of the seriously ill actor Heinz Hönig, who has been fighting for his life in a Berlin hospital for two weeks. A few days ago he had surgery on his esophagus. Hönig has no health insurance. According to his wife, he could no longer afford the high contributions after he stumbled into personal bankruptcy. Friends collected money for him via a fundraising platform. Nobody collects for the S. family.
No one’s health insurance can be canceled – that’s the theory
Actually, there shouldn’t be any more cases like hers. German citizens must take out health insurance or private health insurance. The obligation also gives rise to a right – no one may have their insurance canceled if they would then be left without it. The legal basis for this was created between 2009 and 2013. But every law has loopholes. Cornelia S. and her 22-year-old son Constantin, who is now severely disabled, fell through one of these.