Abolition of the practice fee 2013

Practice fee will be abolished from 2013: Since its introduction, the practice fee was massively criticized. Now, the payment of ten euros per quarter from the year 2013, which is due at the doctor's visit, will be abolished again, according to one of the results of the coalition summit of the government parties at the weekend.

05/11/2012

For months, the coalition parties of CDU, CSU and FDP have been discussing the possible abolition of the practice fee. In view of the good financial situation in the health fund, the FDP and in particular the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr and FDP Federal Chairman Rainer Brüderle had decided to abolish the practice fee. At the coalition summit, the party could now apparently prevail with their position, but has apparently in return signaled their approval of the previously highly controversial care allowance. A not uncontroversial compromise, which the opposition also branded as horse-trading.

Discontinuation of the practice fee from the first quarter of 2013
Members of the statutory health insurance (GKV) can look forward to a discontinuation of the practice fee from the year 2013. Not surprisingly, the Federal Government has agreed on the abolition of the fee due at the doctor's visit, not least because of the massive surpluses in the health fund. Several times, among other things, the chairmen of large statutory health insurance companies had commented critically on the practice fees, since these do not develop the expected control effect, bring with them a considerable bureaucracy and represent a superfluous burden for the patients. Some health insurance companies have already announced that they will use the current surplus, among other things, for the reimbursement of the practice fees to the insured persons.

Abolition of the practice fee Relief for doctors and patients
From the first quarter of 2013, the previously due 10, - € per quarter at a doctor's visit no longer due, the agreement at the coalition summit on the weekend. For both the doctors and the insured, this decision should be a considerable relief. Initially, the Federal Council had considered a possible abolition of the practice fee last week, but subsequently referred the decision to the coalition parties. These have now agreed on an end to the practice fee. The criticism of the opposition to the alleged horse-trading, which provides for the abolition of the practice fee in return for the approval of the FDP for child support, dismissed the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) to the news channel "n-tv".

Horse-trading: Care allowance against abolition of the practice fee
The abolition of the practice fee is "not a gift, but a necessary measure," said Bahr in an interview with the news channel. Since the health insurance had accumulated large surpluses, "it was correct that one uses these surpluses, in order to relieve the citizens also - from the Hauptärgernis for years, the practice fee", explained the Federal Minister of Health. The practice fee called Bahr as "a toll in the doctor's office, which did not understand the people and which has only led to bureaucracy and bureaucracy." Therefore, the current decision is "a strong signal from the coalition for relief and reduction of bureaucracy." However, this is only half the truth, because at the coalition summit and the approval of the FDP was signaled to support money, which in turn will lead to a considerable bureaucratic extra work. The critics from the ranks of the opposition see here a lazy compromise.

Abolition of the practice fee welcomed by many sides
Detached from the other decisions of the coalition summit, however, the speedy abolition of the practice fee is an advocated move by many. Politicians from the opposition also welcomed the fact that people who are covered by statutory health benefit in this way from the billions in surpluses in the health fund and health insurances. This will also strengthen the competitive position of the GKV compared to the private health insurance (PKV), because private patients do not have to pay any practice fees anyway. (Fp)