Financing concerns during reform
Hospitals demand a “clear stance” from Lauterbach
November 23, 2023, 8:55 a.m
Immediately before the joint federal and state meeting of health ministers, the head of the German Hospital Association criticized ambiguities in the financing of the reform plans. The Bavarian Health Minister also accuses Lauterbach of a lack of willingness to compromise.
In view of the budget crisis, the German Hospital Association is quickly demanding clarity about the financing of the planned hospital reform. In the draft by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the financing is still a “complete blank,” criticized association boss Gerald Gaß in the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “The Federal Minister of Health must finally come clean and admit where the money comes from and how much money will actually be available for the transformation,” warned Gaß.
The federal and state health ministers are again discussing the planned hospital reform today. The meeting in Berlin is intended to provide further clarification in order to initiate a draft law. The federal government said in advance that the points of criticism raised could be resolved. Lauterbach’s plans essentially envisage changing the clinics’ remuneration system with flat rates for treatment cases in order to free them from financial pressure to deal with more and more cases.
Gaß complained that the federal government did not address any of the seven main points of criticism from the states in the working draft for the meeting. The Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach also expressed criticism. “I have the impression that Lauterbach is stubbornly sticking to his line, no matter what the countries say about it,” she told the “Münchner Merkur”. “Laying is still an option,” the CSU politician made clear. “We will decide that when the final bill is available and we can assess its constitutionality.”