DGB practice fee should be abolished

DGB boss Michael Sommer calls for the abolition of: practice fees

12/25/2011

For every doctor's visit, insured persons must pay 10 euros per quarter. Newer proposals even go so far as to require a practice fee per doctor's contact. The Federal Chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation DGB, Michael Sommer, has now spoken out in favor of a complete abolition of the practice fees. In the opinion of the union chairman, there are many better ways to relieve health insurance financially. One idea is the citizens insurance for all people in Germany.

According to the DGB, the practice fee for cash-desk patients is abolished. For example, Sommer told dpa that it was about giving the citizens one „to guarantee reasonable health care and not punish them for having to go to the doctor.“ Therefore, summer is against, the practice fee to increase, said Sommer in an interview to the news agency dpa in Berlin.

Unnecessary doctor visits should be reduced
The original idea of ​​the practice fee was to minimize the need for unnecessary visits to the doctor. Despite the quarterly fees, this project has failed in principle. For years, ever-increasing doctor contacts per patient have been recorded. The main reason: People are getting older as a result of demographic change. This also increases the doctor's visits. The fees, however, relieve the health insurance companies by around 2.0 billion euros per year. A revenue page, which in the opinion of the funds is now irreversible.

Black-yellow plans practice fee per doctor visit
Government circles are currently discussing fundamentally reforming the distribution practice. Instead of the ten euros per quarter, the Federal Ministry of Health under the leadership of Daniel Bahr (FDP) checks each doctor's visit to collect five euros from the insured. There is resistance from the unions against this proposal. „There are also other ways that you can stabilize the statutory funds. You do not have to worry about the practice fee.“ In this context, Sommer suggested developing a solidary citizens' insurance that includes other groups of people in statutory health insurance. „However, capital and wealth income would also have to contribute to financing.“ Punishing patients for doctor consultations is the wrong way to go.

The criticism also focuses on the black-and-yellow proposal for the creation of a guaranteed minimum pension. The guarantee pension should amount to 850 euros monthly and prevent poverty in old age. According to the head of the DGB, the proposals are dubious. „You can not just promise 850 euros, and then not provide for the financing. This is a pure sham.“ so summer.

Federal Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) had brought the pension model into conversation. The minimum pension should apply only to employees in the low-wage sector who have contributed to statutory pension funds, occupational and private insurance policies for decades. If the pension is less than 850 euros, this should be topped up with state subsidies. How the financing works is still open. According to the ideas of the Minister of Labor, a mixture of taxes and pension contributions should be created. At what percentage is still largely open.

It is true that poverty in old age is becoming a mass phenomenon in Germany, explained Sommer. But you can not be like the Minister von der Leyen „work with uncovered checks.“ In order to safeguard people in old age, a sensible concept of a grant should be provided. That would cost the taxpayer a lot of money. It is therefore more important to ensure that people already earn enough money in their working life to receive a sufficient pension later on. Second, it is important to provide conditions that people can fulfill.“ (Sb)

Also read:
Five euro practice fee per doctor visit planned
Practice fee in the future Hartz IV rate included
Poor people can not pay for doctor's visits
Practice fee departure: Five euros per doctor visit?
Doctor visit: Beware of additional services

Picture: Günter Havlena