| Faced with a ballooning deficit in Germany's health care system, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided yesterday to raise premiums and cut into the profits of doctors, dentists, hospitals, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The decision was reached after months of wrangling within Merkel's coalition over a fundamental overhaul of the system and after a series of political blows to the chancellor and plummeting support in the polls. Government officials said the decision was reached harmoniously, but the opposition immediately criticized the changes, saying they basically consist of everybody paying more. |