GKV Association criticizes the doctors refusal

According to a survey, half of the physicians surveyed have failed to provide cost-related treatment. The central association of the health insurance companies made clear that doctors risk their admission, if they do not carry out necessary health services.

26.11.2010

According to a survey by the Allensbach Institute on behalf of the financial services provider MLP, every second doctor has ever withheld health care from a patient for cost reasons. Twelve percent of the physicians surveyed even stated that they had not performed necessary therapy several times because of the cost pressure. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) responded with indignation to the results of the study. As said the chairman of the board of the GKV-Verband, Dr. med. Doris Pfeiffer, treatments that are medically necessary, are provided by health insurances „no ifs and buts“ paid. Doctors who still refrain from necessary measures the patient would have to put up with the question of whether such handling is not contrary to professional ethics.

Majority of doctors did not carry out necessary treatments before
Family doctors admitted in a survey of the Allensbach Institute that they would fail due to cost certain treatments to their patients. According to the survey, 55 percent of physicians surveyed nationwide, „ever“ not to have carried out an important treatment. 12 percent of the doctors even said that they had not applied treatments for several times due to cost pressure, as the head of the institute, Renate Köcher, confirmed. The cost pressure seems to be a bit higher for primary care physicians, here said 62 percent of the doctors, to have already renounced therapies. At the doctors in the hospitals, it was just under half (49 percent). In the survey, a total of 500 doctors were interviewed.

The head of the GKV Association appealed, doctors should not urge their patients to unnecessary individual health services, which would then have to be paid out of pocket. If family doctors pay extra for health care, although these are taken over by the health insurance companies, a withdrawal of the cash register approval threatens. „If you are denied medically necessary services, you should definitely contact your health insurance company.“, so Pfeiffer.

Doctors' Association: Vital health services not affected
The Deputy Chairman of the German Medical Association, Dr. med. Frank Ulrich Montgomery said the Allensbacher result should make everyone think. However, the medical representative pointed out that this is not about essential health care or emergency situations, but about treatments, „which you can move.“. So far no cases have become known, „where patients have been harmed.“

Some treatments have not been scientifically proven
Patients also repeatedly state that they have the feeling that they have not received any health care from their doctor. The GKV chairman holds against it: for years these exist „blanket statement“, after which treatments are denied by the coffers. However, this often lacks concrete evidence. In this context, the cashier pointed out that the benefits of many therapy and research methods are scientifically dubious and therefore not funded. „Today, we spend a lot of money on examinations and treatments that either do not help or, worse, even harm the patient. Only if research and treatment methods have proven their usefulness and their safety in studies do they belong to the general care. The safety of patients must come first here.“ However, this still includes many health methods of naturopathy, although these have proven in practice again and again to be helpful for the patient. Only gradually are treatment methods such as acupuncture recognized as a cash benefit. (Sb)

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