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Comment by masonic | Hacker News Reader

  mandatory insurance in the US like there is in Germany

In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?)

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Refugee/Asylum claimants are "insured" in the sense that such services are payed for under the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz. Otherwise uninsured people will have to pay themselves or receive help from social services.

The idea is that you are always insured for essentials, so the question is to find out under whom at that time. No idea what specifically determines the insurer for someone entering the country. But coverage will begin back on entry and they will request membership payments for the entire time, even if you did not "use" that coverage.

As for refugees specifically, I'd expect that to be mostly a question of whom they sign on with first. The public insurance has the same rate regardless of provider, so it wouldn't make much of a difference, and governmental support will probably pay that bill anyway.

> In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?)

They get treated first, payment is worked out later.

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