Before protest day on Wednesday
Lauterbach rejects increased fees for pharmacists
06/13/2023 3:14 p.m
Even before the pharmacies start their day of protest on Wednesday, the Minister of Health dismisses the idea. There is no leeway for the higher fees demanded. Lauterbach refers to the billions in health insurance deficit and the threat of premium increases from 2024.
Before the protest day of the pharmacies on Wednesday, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach rejected their demand for higher fees. Of course, he understands that the pharmacies pointed out their fee requests and other problems, said the SPD politician in Berlin. However, he sees no scope for fee increases, he added with reference to the financial situation of the statutory health insurance (GKV). They expect a deficit and an increase in contribution rates is imminent. “I understand that the pharmacies would like their fees to be increased, but due to a lack of tax revenue and increasing contribution rates, we unfortunately don’t have the leeway for this at the moment (…).”
The pharmacists’ associations have drawn up a ten-point catalog of demands and are demanding, among other things, an increase in the fees for prescription drugs from 8.35 euros to 12 euros per pack. In order to emphasize their demands, pharmacists want to close on Wednesday and maintain the supply of emergency pharmacies.
FDP criticizes contribution increase
According to Lauterbach, the contributions for statutory health insurance could rise again in 2024 due to an impending billion-dollar hole. The Federal Minister of Health told the editorial network Germany that Finance Minister Christian Lindner had made it clear that the tax subsidies from the federal budget could not be increased. The SPD politician added: “With me there will be no cuts in benefits. The contribution rate to statutory health insurance will therefore have to increase slightly again next year.”
The traffic light coalition promptly demanded countermeasures in other ways. FDP parliamentary group deputy Christoph Meyer said that in economically difficult times, burdening people and companies with additional burdens was the wrong way. The Minister of Health must avoid higher contributions through structural reforms in health insurance and services as well as through more digitization. “That’s his job.”