No scope for more fees
Lauterbach has no understanding of doctors’ demands
December 28, 2023, 1:15 a.m
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Many doctors’ practices are closed in the week between Christmas and New Year – not because the doctors are on vacation, but because they are on strike, among other things for more money. Health Minister Lauterbach believes this is completely inappropriate.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach shows no understanding for doctors’ calls for more money. He said in the ZDF “heute journal update” that he believes the demands are “not justified.” “Apart from Switzerland, of course, nowhere else in Europe does the practice earn as well as in Germany. I don’t see any scope for fee increases,” said the SPD politician.
Lauterbach said he did not understand why there was a strike, referring to the ongoing protests by various medical associations. There is a “huge wave of illness” in the population. “The doctors’ demands for more money are also known. The strike doesn’t bring anything forward at all.”
Medical associations have called for family doctor and specialist practices to be closed nationwide between the years. The action, planned until Friday, is part of the “Praxis in Not” campaign, which is supported by more than 20 associations. How many practices are taking part in the campaign is unclear due to the decentralized organization. According to a spokeswoman, the Virchow Association of practicing doctors expects tens of thousands of practices to be closed nationwide.
Lauterbach wants to meet with the family doctors at a crisis summit in January to discuss the complained about overload and bureaucracy in the practices. “The practices need better working conditions, need less bureaucracy. The money also needs to be distributed more fairly,” he said on ZDF. “But simply pouring more money into a system like in the past – which doesn’t really work well – we’ve simply used this solution too often. It won’t be in the foreground.”
Health insurance companies against “promotion with the watering can”
The statutory health insurance companies make similar statements. “The principle of funding with a watering can must come to an end. There is also enough money in the system,” said Doris Pfeifer, CEO of the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies, to the editorial network Germany. The gross net income of practicing doctors has increased on a nationwide average in recent years.
“It must also be made clear: What doctors or pharmacists want to get more, the supermarket cashier and the truck driver have to finance with their health insurance contributions,” says Pfeiffer. They also suffered from the increased prices. Pfeiffer also opposed further financial aid for the clinics. “It cannot be the case that those paying contributions are pumping additional money into a hospital system in which 30 to 40 percent of the beds are permanently empty,” she said. It makes no sense to support clinics now that no one will ultimately need to provide good patient care.