AHCJ German Health Care Study Group
Applications are closed.
A short webinar introducing the German health system and offering tips for strengthening your application was held on July 16. We strongly encourage you to watch the recording if you did not attend.
Americans historically have shown little interest in learning from health systems in other countries, but skyrocketing costs in the U.S. are putting medical care out of reach for millions of middle-class patients. This has stoked growing unhappiness about the American health care system. And it offers a new opportunity to educate Americans about how other wealthy nations organize their health systems and make care more widely available at more affordable costs. Few countries offer better lessons than Germany.
To improve understanding of the German system, the Association of Health Care Journalists is launching the German Health Care Study Group, a weeklong in-person program for U.S.-based reporters to travel to Germany, meet with health care leaders and visit experts in Berlin to inform reporting projects for U.S.-based outlets.
Germany in important ways represents an ideal model for an American audience. Unlike the U.K. or Canada, Germany has a largely non-governmental system that is more recognizable to U.S. patients. Physicians and hospitals are largely private. Most Germans get insurance from non-government health plans. Workers contribute to the cost of insurance, as they do in the U.S.
The German system is not without challenges. But the system generally delivers high-quality care. Importantly, it also protects patients’ financial security by limiting what patients pay when they go to the doctor or hospital. This is a major difference from the U.S., where patients routinely get bills for thousands of dollars, even if they have health insurance. Special thanks to The Commonwealth Fund for supporting this program.
Story examples
Here is a selection of stories reported from Germany for a U.S.-based audience:
- German patients get the latest drugs for just $11. Can such a model work in the U.S.? (Los Angeles Times)
- Is Germany’s Health System a Model for the U.S.? (NBC News)
- From Rural Germany, Integrated Care Grows Into A Global Model (Health Affairs)
- What Germany’s Coal Miners Can Teach America About Medical Debt (KFF Health News/NPR)
- More Freedom, Less Violence: Some States Look to European Prisons (New York Times)
Expectations
Candidates should be U.S.-based, working journalists who qualify for AHCJ professional membership with at least 10 years’ experience as professional journalists, preferably with strong experience covering health care policy and delivery at the national or regional level.
Participants in the study group will:
- Travel to Berlin for a weeklong immersive experience with a small cohort of U.S. journalists.
- Meet with German health officials, providers, researchers, labor leaders and patients to explore core elements of the system.
- Participate in site visits to hospitals, physician offices and health agencies.
- Visit cultural and historical sites to provide broader context for reporting.
- Develop or advance reporting projects for U.S. outlets on topics around cost, coverage, equity or care delivery.
What’s Covered?
- Round-trip airfare, lodging, local transportation and meals.
- A prepaid expense card for meals and incidental costs (with receipts required).
- Travel insurance.
- A year’s membership in AHCJ (new or extended).
- A personalized program that allows time for independent reporting during the week.
Tentative Schedule
- July 2025: Applications open (July 1) and informational webinar held (July 16).
- August 2025: Applications close; finalists interviewed and selected.
- September 2025: Travel logistics and program finalized.
- October 2025: Study group travels to Berlin.
- November 2025: Participant webinar to discuss project progress.
- March 2026: Projects published.
Application Checklist
Applications will open July 9, 2025, and will be available on this page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early.
Only applicants with valid passports may participate in this program. Your passport must be valid through May 2026 due to international travel restrictions.
Applicants must submit:
- A one-sentence summary of your proposal.
- A short project proposal focused on an aspect of the German health care system (equity, cost, coverage or care).
- A cover letter that includes:
- Information on why you are applying for the work study opportunity and how it will help your professional development.
- A paragraph on the impact reporting on this project will have (quantitative and qualitative).
- A paragraph on the primary audience/demographic for the project (who you’re serving).
- A letter of recommendation from your current employer outlining how the work study will benefit you and your audience, and confirming support for your participation. Freelancers should submit a letter from an assigning editor confirming plans to publish the final project.
- A current resume or CV.
Questions? Contact Andrea Waner at andrea@healthjournalism.org.
Applications are closed.
Current Fellows
2025
- Jenae Barnes for Capital B will report on the experiences of expatriate Black Americans in Germany’s health care system and how this differs from their experiences with high medical bills and racial bias in the U.S. system.
- Katie L. Burke for Scientific American will examine how lower carbon emissions and better access to affordable medical care may explain why asthma rates are lower in Germany than in the U.S.
- Jordan Gass-Pooré for Inside Climate News will look at how rural areas of Germany enjoy better access to health insurance and affordable medical care than their counterparts in Texas and what that means for residents’ health at a time when climate change is putting new strains on both regions.
- Keren Landman, M.D., for National Geographic will report on how Germany cares for its elderly and helps them age in their homes — safely