On holidays emergency doctor shortage in Bavaria

Due to billing dispute too few emergency doctors on holidays in use

13.12.2012

In Bavaria, an acute emergency doctor shortage is expected during the holidays. Background is a billing dispute between the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Bayern (KBV) and the health insurance companies due to lack of bureaucratic evidence of emergency medical assignments at the central clearing office (ZASZ).

Billing dispute on public holidays becomes a health risk for patients in Bavaria?
At the ZAST rescue operations are reported by the rescue service as a misuse, in which the patient is not transported to a hospital because his condition has improved. The health insurance companies therefore did not submit any compensation to KVB. The consortium of Bavarian emergency physicians (AGBN) puts the resulting deficit due to lack of evidence with around 12 million euros.

Since November 15, the emergency ambulance operations in Bavaria are no longer remunerated and the payment is postponed to a date that has not yet been set, as KVB is forced to take action, „From November 15, 2012 onwards, the bets will first be reconciled with the list of missions remunerated by ZAST, and only when it is clear that the bets have been accepted, can a payout be made“, quotes the AGBN in a press release. In a letter to Prime Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU), the board of ABGN asks for understanding on behalf of its members „that we find it unreasonable for the medical colleagues, on whose readiness the population relies day and night confidently, ..., can no longer be certain that or when and how much the work done will be remunerated.“

For this reason, many emergency physicians will not be on duty between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Bavaria's emergency physicians call for one „a quick and acceptable solution for the maintenance of emergency care“. In Bavaria there are about 4,500 emergency doctors and 220 emergency doctor's offices. (Sb)

Picture: Hartmut910