300 million euros more for doctors' fees

0.9 percent more fee for physicians from 2013

30.08.2012

The physicians demand higher pay and an announcement on the doctors strike is in the air. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) claims a total of 3.5 billion euros more for home and specialist physicians. A mediator's verdict has now overruled the medical association: just 300 million euros per year to get the doctors in total. According to this, the orientation point value should rise by 0.9 percent from 2013 onwards. In view of the result, doctors showed „disappointed“.

Slightly more doctor's fees
Doctors should get more from next year, as the Extended Evaluation Committee has just decided. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) agreed with this result, but the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung refused to approve it. The decisive factor for the decision was the committee chairman Professor Jürgen Wasem.

As a result, the total remuneration of statutory health insurance physicians will increase by 0.9 percent from next year. Instead of the 3.5 billion required by the medical association, the health insurance companies now have to shell out a total of 300 million euros per year more. This was the conclusion reached by the Extended Evaluation Committee with the votes of the GKV-Verband and the voices of the committee chairman Professor Jürgen Wasem against the vote of the KBV.

This year, the ideas of the counterparties were very far apart. While the KBV had demanded a fee increase of 3.5 billion euros, the GKV even wanted to achieve a reduction in doctors' salaries of around 2.2 billion euros. The funds justified their ideas with the rationalization effects and the more intensive cooperation of the physicians. With the sum of 300 million euros, the arbitration award remained exactly in the middle of the two contractors. "That will not soothe the anger of the doctors, however," said KBV spokesman Roland Stahl. The deputy chairman of the central association of the health insurance companies, Johann Magnus von Stackelberg, praised however the expressed arbitration award. This is „a reasonable solution“. In addition, the vice-chairman of the GKV draws attention to the fact that doctors receive from the health insurance funds around 33 billion euros per year.

The physicians had before the negotiations then indicated that the expenditure on staff and purchases have risen steadily. In addition, there is a „considerable investment backlog in the medical practices“, In many practices new equipment would have to be purchased.

Dissatisfaction with the doctors about the result
The rejection on the part of the KBV in the Extended Evaluation Committee, according to the opinion of the „Doctors newspaper“ the „Dissatisfaction and disappointment about next year's possible fee development“. Because the health insurances even demanded a lowering before the negotiations, have within the medical profession one „considerable protest potential“ built up.

Next Saturday, an extraordinary representative meeting of the KBV will take place. Not only delegates from the KBV, but also doctors and association representatives are to receive this. Numerous representatives of the medical profession had already put in practice closures for protest in recent days. In addition, that should „Right to strike for contract doctors“ be examined, as observers announced.

Psychotherapists earn the least
According to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the average monthly net income of a health insurance contractor is around 5442 euros. A general practitioner would earn around 5018 euros net per month. A specialist in orthopedics about 6344 euros. The least earning qualified psychotherapists. Your average wage is according to the current surveys at 2658 euros. Next year, the Federal Office wants to publish the figures for 2011. (Sb)

Picture: Sigrid Rossmann