Finally, relief for freelance midwives

Midwives receive a liability supplement to offset the financial burdens

25/08/2014

Many midwives were worried about the massive increases in professional indemnity insurance premiums and feared that their professional lives would be over, and professional associations have warned against the imminent end of obstetrics. Last Friday, a solution came into force that initially worries the midwives. The Central Association of Statutory Health Insurance (GKV-Spitzenverband) and the midwives associations agreed on a model that freelance midwives in obstetrics so-called „Liability allowances“ assures.

The agreed compensation for the increase in private professional liability premiums applies to freelance midwives with midwifery retroactively from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, according to the notification of the GKV-Spitzenverband. The liability allowances can „in addition to the relevant positions for obstetrics“, the association continues to report. The solution found would meet the latest requirements of the legislator, „especially to support those midwives who care for few births.“ The freelance midwives can therefore breathe easy, because the cost increases in professional liability insurance are taken over by the statutory health insurance.

Higher supplements per birth
„In total, the statutory health insurance provides 2.6 million euros for the liability compensation of midwives with obstetrics“, so the message of the GKV-Spitzenverbandes. Specifically, this means, for example, „that a midwife for a home birth on the day in addition to the approximately 707 € also receives a supplement of 132 €.“ For births in a facility run by midwives (for example, a birth center), the allowance would be 68 euros per birth. Also, a documentary midwife in the hospital in shifts received 8.81 euros per birth as a supplement. By the staggering of the supplements above all midwives are to be supported, which concern comparatively few births, reports the GKV Spitzenverband further. Already in May, the GKV-Spitzenverband agreed with the German Midwives Association (DHV) and the Association of Freelance Midwives of Germany (BfHD) to compensate for the increased premiums for freelance midwives without obstetrics.

Liability supplement until 2015 temporary
According to the notification of the GKV-Spitzenverband, the liability supplement is limited in time until mid-2015. Thereafter, the allowance should be paid by „a hammer-individual guarantee premium“ be replaced. In the future, this could be applied for by midwives who care for only a few births. In this way, a financial compensation would be ensured here. According to the will of the legislator, such a supplement should also be based on individual evidence of the midwife. Here, for example, the number of supervised births and quality issues could be considered, reports the GKV-Spitzenverband. „Details for this seizure surcharge from mid-2015 will be negotiated in the coming months between the midwife associations and the GKV Spitzenverband“, so the message Association. (Fp)