Bavaria calls doctors to reason

Bavaria calls doctors to reason: The exit from the POS system would have far-reaching consequences for physicians and patients.

19/12/2010

The announcement of the Bavarian family doctor association to leave the system of statutory health insurance, now causes the state government to call the doctors to reason. In large-scale newspaper ads Bayern warns against the Kassenausstieg and the resulting consequences for family doctors and patients. The doctors should think carefully about whether such a step does not bring financial disadvantages. Because after leaving the health insurance system, family doctors could only treat private patients.

The dispute between the family doctors association and the general local health insurance AOK in Bavaria has escalated in the past week. After the Bayerische Hausärzteverband had announced the exit from the cash register system, the health insurance reacted in turn with the immediate termination of the family doctor contracts. But the medical association continues to hold on to its position, in protest, to hand over the cash at the beginning of the year. In the coming week, the GP wants to interview its members.

Bavaria's state government warns family doctors before the exit
A few days before the vote on the exit, the Bavarian state government has now joined in the conflict. In newspaper advertisements of the daily press, the state government has asked the family doctors to refrain from the exit necessarily. The move to further escalation is putting patients and GPs at risk, as stated in the advertisements that appeared in several newspapers. "Consider the consequences of an exit, because: who gets out is outside!", So the reminder. Next Wednesday, the Bavarian Association of GPs wants to call its members to vote on the exit. The association, chaired by Drs. Wolfgang Hoppenthaller holds firm despite the termination of the contracts on the system exit. In addition, other GP associations have solidarized with their Bavarian colleagues and pledged their support. So the family doctor association in Baden-Wuerttemberg called its physicians in the adjoining regions to Bavaria, to solidarisieren with the decision of the colleagues. One will not catch a possible deficit in the supply, as it was said.

A clear warning was also expressed by the supreme supervision of the health insurance companies, the Federal Insurance Office (BVA). „The organization of a collective exit is not only unlawful. It is a solid gross break of the family doctor contract that the Bavarian family doctors have closed„, said the BVA chairman Maximilian Gaßner.

In addition to the AOK, other replacement health insurance funds have now announced the immediate termination of the contracts, unless the medical profession refuses. „This can lead to the termination of the contract and to claims for damages, "Gaßner warned." One can only hope that Dr. Ing. Hoppenthaller does not prevail, "said the BVA boss.

Doctors Association wants to force health insurance companies to far-reaching negotiations
If a majority of primary care physicians agree to leave, this step would have far-reaching consequences. Many thousands of doctors would suddenly leave the cash register system. In order not to jeopardize the care of the patients, then the billing of the fees would have to be done by another body. The medical association wants to take over then on its own. For the medical director Dr. According to Hoppenthaller, the currently valid social laws are a means of keeping doctors as slaves to the coffers. The association sees the care of the patients in danger, since the lower fee increase, especially young doctors would be afraid to open practices. „We want more time for patients again. Along with this, we demand planning security for us and our employees by securing long-term GPs' collective bargaining rights and negotiating with the health insurance companies at eye level. "

Once out of the POS system, re-entry is extremely difficult
But the Ministry of Health sees the possibilities of re-entry as very difficult. For contracts with the health insurance of outgoing GPs is prohibited by law. In addition, an exit from the POS system would cause a year-long lock. The GPs could from this time only private patients or cash patients on private bill treat. "If you get out, you can only treat private patients." But the family doctor association relies on a majority of its members. If, in fact, a large number of doctors decided to pass the approval of the Kassenärztliche, new negotiations would have to be conducted. After all, where should the patients be treated? Exactly on this factor Bavaria's family doctors association. The health insurances would actually be forced to start new negotiations, whether they like it or not. But the situation is difficult. If this means of protest first of all makes school, further associations might come up with the idea to imitate the Bavarian colleagues. The health insurance companies would be almost helplessly exposed to this situation.

This compulsory situation also upsets the Bavarian Minister of Health Markus Söder (CSU). He reminded the medical profession of their responsibility towards the patients. In front of the Passauer Neue Presse (PNP), the minister said: "Physicians have a professional ethos, it is about the care of the sick, and not just about fee disputes." Söder tries it with moral arguments. Every family doctor should talk with his partner and bank about whether such a step makes economic sense. "Any family doctor who gets out of the cash register system is out and endangering his own existence." (Sb)

Read on this topic:
Family doctor association insists on system change
AOK Bayern announces general practitioner contracts without notice
PKV and doctors argue about fees
AOK boss: problem with medical oversupply
Dispute between AOK and family doctors escalates

Picture: Gerd Altmann