Well, I am sick today.  I figured it would be a great insight into how I navigated through German health care (socialized health care that the conservatives have deemed to be like the devil).

First off, if you work in Germany and pay German taxes, you automatically qualify for the government health care.  Why? Your tax dollars are paying for it.  So I have my health care card with my photograph and signature.

I started to feel a little under the weather yesterday.  I had a tickle in my throat that I had hoped was due to allergies.  A sleepless night and drowsy morning proved otherwise.  I texted my boss asking her for the procedure on being sick. I didn’t want to call her because it was about 5 in the morning and I wasn’t sure if she was awake.

She responded back about an hour later letting me know that just telling her was enough and that I didn’t need to come in.  But I would need to into the doctor’s office to get a:

Arbeitsunfaehigkeitsbescheinigung

She then added a smiley face and said “or just a Krankmeldung.”

It’s literally a doctor’s note.  So I did some quick research to find the nearest doctor (there was one walking distance from me).  So when they opened I called to see if I could walk in.  They said yes….and well…I walked in.

I had to wait a while because I didn’t have an appointment.  But when I finally got to see her.  The doctor was really nice.  She had great bedside manner.  She did a quick check and found that I had a fever and my throat was severely inflamed.  She prescribed antibiotics and the rest of the week off for rest.  I also got my note.

So now I am here in my apartment, back in my pajamas where I will be going back to sleep soon.

Until Friday!