Treatments in pawls geared for profit

Expert Opinion: Treatment methods in latches geared to profit

07/06/2014

According to an unpublished report, German clinics are more likely to opt for a particular treatment as soon as they make more money. Experts recommend a reform of the case flat rate system.

Treatment method is often decided on profit
According to an unpublished report, German hospitals are more likely to opt for a particular treatment method as soon as more money can be made. This is the conclusion of the Hamburg health economist Jonas Schreyögg and his Berlin colleague Reinhard Busse, like the „mirror“ reported. On behalf of the German Hospital Association and the health insurance companies, the researchers therefore discovered why the number of inpatient treatment cases had risen rapidly - from 1.4 million to 18.6 million from 2007 to 2012.

Align remuneration more closely to diagnoses
The remuneration for medical services is reassessed every year. The experts found that the more lucrative treatments thereafter were carried out more frequently from then on. This in particular, if they were also well planned medically and the patient only had to stay in the clinic for a short time. The number of emergency treatments in the university clinics, however, increased disproportionately. The authors recommend a reform of the case flat rate system. For example, reimbursement needs to focus more on diagnoses than on procedures to avoid unwanted incentives, such as when opting for surgery rather than other therapies.

Required adjustment of the case flat rate system
Experts have been discussing a much-needed adjustment of the case flat rate system for a long time. For example, many clinicians believe that this system provides incentives to get rid of patients after exceeding their normal duration of treatment, or to refuse complicated cases from the outset. Latches would otherwise have to pay for recovery attempts that go beyond the normal measure, out of their own pocket. If only one fixed amount is paid to hospitals for each patient with a particular illness, this only pays off if the illnesses are particularly fast or normal. However, if complications occur, this can easily lead to actual treatment costs that can be far above the fixed amount. (Ad)

Image: Michael Bührke