German health care system in transition. The difficult way to balance cost containment and solidarity.

As is the case with all other health care systems, the German one is in constant transition. The reasons--such as costly medical innovations, aging population, and lack of overall economic growth--are well known, widely discussed, and not unique to Germany. Although the problems are not unique to Germany, there are some trends in each country which may be of interest to other countries. This contribution provides an update on the German health care system and reports current reform trends.