u/BulkyVermicelli225

Recently, I’ve been thinking about how fair the current health insurance system is when it comes to the extent to which our lifestyles contribute to our own health.

There are many diseases whose risks are significantly increased by smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and generally maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle over a long period of time. Treating these conditions also takes up a significant amount of healthcare capacity.

Meanwhile, someone who exercises, tries to eat well, doesn’t smoke, and generally takes care of themselves is part of the same overstretched system. If they happen to need, for example, a cardiology examination, they may still have to wait months for an appointment.

That led me to an idea, and I’m curious to hear what you think:

What if health insurance contributions depended, to some extent, on preventable health risks?

For example, there could be an annual health assessment available to everyone. Certain objective indicators and risk factors could be assessed, such as smoking, body weight/body composition, blood pressure, blood sugar, regular physical activity, etc. Based on these, some kind of scoring system could be developed. If someone chose not to attend the assessment, they would automatically have to pay more.

People who actively take care of their health and keep their controllable risk factors low could receive a discount. Those who consistently maintain high lifestyle-related risk factors would pay somewhat higher contributions.

In Austria, for example, there is already an annual preventive health check-up available to everyone. Of course, there is no scoring system or insurance contribution scheme attached to it, but the infrastructure and the concept of regular health assessments already exist.

Obviously, this immediately raises a whole range of problems. Where do we draw the line between something that is the result of a person’s choices and something caused by genetics, illness, medication, or socioeconomic circumstances? How could such a system be designed so that, for example, someone who is obese because of a medical condition isn’t penalised? And is it even ethical to make financial distinctions between people based on their lifestyles?

I’m not saying I have a ready-made solution. I intend this post more as a brainstorming exercise.

Do you think it would be fair to financially incentivise healthier lifestyles through the health insurance system in some way?

If so, how could this be implemented in a way that is genuinely fair and doesn’t simply penalise people who are ill or disadvantaged?

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for a Mechanical Engineer position at CERN, and I’m wondering how strictly the degree requirements are interpreted.

The position asks for a Master’s degree or equivalent relevant experience. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, but no Master’s. Since graduating, I’ve built several years of relevant engineering experience.

Based on the job description, my experience seems to match the technical requirements quite closely, so I’m definitely interested in applying. My only concern is whether not having a Master’s could put me at a significant disadvantage or potentially prevent me from being considered.

1. Has anyone here worked at CERN or gone through their recruitment process with a similar background?
2. How does CERN generally interpret “Master’s degree or equivalent relevant experience” in practice?

Any insight would be really appreciated, especially from current/former CERN employees or people who have applied for engineering positions there.

Thanks :)

Hallo zusammen,

ich würde gerne eure Meinung hören oder von euren Erfahrungen erfahren, falls jemand schon einmal eine ähnliche Situation in Österreich hatte.

Ich bin Mitte Juni in eine neue Wohnung eingezogen. Die Wohnung ist nicht gerade günstig und wurde mit einem Kühlschrank vermietet. Allerdings habe ich schnell festgestellt, dass der Kühlschrank nicht richtig kühlt. Ein Teil meiner Lebensmittel ist verdorben und leider auch ein Medikament, das ich zwischen 2 °C und 6 °C lagern muss.

Ich habe den Vermieter sofort informiert. Es hat etwa zwei Wochen gedauert, bis der Kühlschrank ausgetauscht wurde. Der Ersatzkühlschrank ist jedoch das gleiche oder ein sehr ähnliches Modell und funktioniert sogar noch schlechter.

Um sicherzugehen, dass ich mir das nicht nur einbilde, habe ich einen digitalen Temperatur-Datenlogger gekauft. Selbst bei nahezu maximaler Kühlstufe beträgt die niedrigste gemessene Temperatur etwa 8 °C, während die wärmsten Bereiche über 13 °C liegen.

Ich habe den Vermieter diese Woche erneut über das Problem informiert, aber bisher keine Antwort erhalten.

Mittlerweile kann ich verderbliche Lebensmittel nicht mehr sicher lagern und muss deshalb deutlich häufiger auswärts essen. Außerdem kann ich mein Medikament überhaupt nicht im Kühlschrank aufbewahren. Der Listenpreis des Medikaments liegt bei rund 2.800 € (es wird zwar von der Krankenkasse übernommen), daher ist die richtige Lagerung besonders wichtig.

Ich habe bereits die Arbeiterkammer kontaktiert und warte auf deren Rückmeldung. In der Zwischenzeit würde mich interessieren, ob jemand von euch etwas Ähnliches erlebt hat.

Konntet ihr den Vermieter dazu bewegen, das Gerät ordnungsgemäß auszutauschen?

Habt ihr eine Mietzinsminderung erhalten?

Konntet ihr zusätzliche Kosten, z. B. für verdorbene Lebensmittel oder häufigeres Essen außer Haus, geltend machen?

Konnte jemand den Mietvertrag wegen eines solchen Mangels vorzeitig beenden?

Gibt es sonst noch etwas, das ich tun sollte, um meine Rechte zu wahren?

Ich freue mich über jede Erfahrung oder jeden Rat. Vielen Dank!

EDIT:

Der Kühlschrank ist bereits auf die niedrigste bzw. kälteste Temperatureinstellung eingestellt, sodass sich die Kühlleistung nicht weiter erhöhen lässt.

Hey everyone,

I need to buy a washer-dryer. Yes, I know separate machines are usually considered the better option, but for my lifestyle and available space, a washer-dryer is definitely the right choice.

I'm still trying to figure out what makes sense in terms of budget and value, but I've heard really good things about the AEG model I'm considering. There are also two other models in a similar price range that seem to get decent reviews.

• AEG LWR8E80610 8000
• Bosch WNC254A40
• SIEMENS WN54C2A40 iQ700
• LG W4WR70E6YB

Which one would you choose, and why? Are any of them known to be particularly reliable (or problematic)?

And if you think I'm overlooking a cheaper model that offers similar performance and reliability, I'd be very happy to hear your suggestions as well.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I need to buy a washer-dryer. Yes, I know separate machines are usually considered the better option, but for my lifestyle and available space, a washer-dryer is definitely the right choice.

I'm still trying to figure out what makes sense in terms of budget and value, but I've heard really good things about the AEG model I'm considering. There are also two other models in a similar price range that seem to get decent reviews.

• AEG LWR8E80610 8000
• Bosch WNC254A40
• SIEMENS WN54C2A40 iQ700
• LG W4WR70E6YB

Which one would you choose, and why? Are any of them known to be particularly reliable (or problematic)?

And if you think I'm overlooking a cheaper model that offers similar performance and reliability, I'd be very happy to hear your suggestions as well.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

Antécédents / Background:

34M. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I’m currently on immunosuppressive treatment (Orencia/abatacept). No known allergies.

Current issue:

About two weeks ago I developed an ear infection. It was almost completely gone, but after arriving in Paris on Monday it came back much worse. My ear hurts when swallowing and it feels blocked/full, but my nose is not really congested.

I’ve already tried rest, fluids, painkillers and nasal spray, but it keeps getting worse. Because of my compromised immune system, I’m worried I may need antibiotics this time.

As a Hungarian tourist currently in Paris, do I have any chance of seeing a doctor quickly and affordably/free with an EU health card? If yes, where should I go and how does the process work?

Many thanks for any advice.

My girlfriend (39F) and I (35M) have been together for a little over 3 years. We are both immigrants from different countries who met in a third country. On our very first date, she had a serious accident and fractured her back. I ended up taking care of her while she recovered, and we bonded deeply through that experience.

Then shortly after she recovered, I became seriously ill myself for a year. So in a strange way, our relationship was built around caring for each other through difficult times rather than building a fun and exciting life together.

It was beautiful in its own way, but now that we are both healthy again, it feels like we are growing apart instead of together.

I always knew we were very different people. Over the last 12–18 months, I repeatedly brought up issues like bad communication, problem handling

different interests and libido levels

not doing many activities together because she is very hesitant to try new things

Over time I started feeling lonely in the relationship. We had peaceful evenings together and a stable home life, but most of the things I enjoy doing, I ended up doing alone.

Another major issue has been intimacy and libido differences.

I was her first sexual partner. I tried to communicate openly, be patient, and explore things together, but she remained very closed off sexually. There were periods where we wouldn’t have sex for 1–2 months at a time, and eventually it started affecting my emotional connection to the relationship.

A week ago, I told her I wanted to break up. We were both devastated.

Now she wants to genuinely work on the relationship, and for the first time she has acknowledged some of the communication issues and how she handles problems. Seeing that honestly broke my heart because I know she loves me.

But I’m struggling with the feeling that many of our issues come from fundamental incompatibilities rather than temporary problems.

What confuses me the most is the intimacy aspect. Part of me feels that if someone is naturally curious/interested sexually, they usually want to explore and grow together already, especially over a 3-year relationship, rather than only trying once the relationship is ending.

At the same time, we built a very stable and caring life together: home, pet, emotional safety.

So now I honestly cannot tell whether I’m grieving the relationship itself or grieving the loss of stability and safety.

My questions are:

Have any of you successfully worked through major libido and intimacy mismatches long term?

Can sexual incompatibility genuinely improve this late into a relationship, or does it usually return to baseline after the breakup fear passes?

How do you tell the difference between temporary relationship problems and fundamental incompatibility?

I would really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who experienced something similar.