Minister of Health Too many operations

Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr criticizes high hospital costs and wants to reduce the number of operations

01/05/2012

The Federal Government is looking for ways to reduce the oversupply of certain services or operations. As the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) in an interview with the „Rheinische Post“ explained, is currently being reviewed, by which further „economic incentives the ever-increasing case numbers in the clinics“ can be reduced.

According to the Minister of Health, increasing numbers of operations are one of the reasons for the cost increase in the hospital sector. For certain surgery is apparently an oversupply. So applies „Germany as world champion in the endoprostheses for knees and hips“, Bahr explained. Doubt, according to the minister „Health insurance companies and experts, whether the case number increases are necessary.“ Such increases in operations burden employees and patients, Bahr continues.

Clinic costs significant cost drivers in health care
According to the statements of the Federal Minister of Health, the trend to be observed makes it necessary to limit the increasing number of operations in German hospitals. In order to bring the cost development under control, the federal government is currently examining, „how we can reduce the rising number of cases in the clinics by further economic incentives.“ The cost of statutory health insurance (SHI) for hospitals rose in 2011 to the previous record high of around 60 billion euros. The GKV-Spitzenverband had emphasized in the light of the numbers that clinic costs are developing into one of the major cost drivers in the healthcare sector. According to information from the Federal Statistical Office, nearly 300 billion euros are now spent on health in Germany every year, with the majority of the statutory health insurance funds being spent.

Health insurance companies should distribute premiums to insured persons
In spite of rising health care expenditures, statutory health insurances were able to accumulate high reserves in some cases last year and the health fund has a significant surplus. The sick with high reserves should therefore according to the Federal Minister of Health now pay back contributions to their insured. „We are examining how we can put pressure on the health insurance companies to return the money they do not need to the insured to their members“, Bahr explained. The Minister is thinking of the distribution of premiums, as it is already practiced in some health insurance companies. The health insurances with particularly high reserves could pay out premiums to their insured, but „of this possibility make so far too few funds use“, stressed Daniel Bahr.

Structural reform of the hospital sector
In terms of rising hospital costs, the deputy chairman of the GKV umbrella organization, Johann-Magnus von Stackelberg, had already spoken in favor of a structural reform of the hospitals in February in order to bring the increase in expenditure under control. However, Stackelberg's approach did not quite go as far as Barmer CEO Christoph Straub, at the beginning of the year, when he demanded to fully implement the austerity measures in the hospital sector, assuming the closure of clinics in case of doubt and medical treatment in the future Care much more often on an outpatient basis or during short hospitalizations. (Fp)

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Photo: Michael Dedeke