Liability premiums for midwives have risen again

Less and less freelance midwives in obstetrics
Every self-employed midwife is required to take out professional indemnity insurance in order to be protected against damage in obstetrics. However, insurance premiums are rising steadily, leading to fewer and fewer freelance midwives offering house or blank births. On July 1, the contribution to liability insurance has again increased dramatically. Every midwife now has to fork out 6,274 euros a year if she offers obstetrics. The news agency "dpa" talked to the Oldenburg midwives Annkatrin Pauli-Glanz and Silke Tapken about their work and the difficult financial situation.

Midwives must pay horrendous liability premiums for obstetrics
Midwife Pauli-Glanz takes an hour to examine a high-pregnant woman. She works in the Oldenburg birth house in the eco center. There are still births there. In a month, however, Pauli-Glanz and her three colleagues take a forced break. For three months, midwives will no longer offer births to save the cost of liability insurance. "This now exceeds our rent," reports midwife Tapken, who is responsible for the finances of the birth house.

The liability insurance for freelance midwives is now even more expensive. Picture: Kzenon - fotolia

On July 1, the liability premium has again increased sharply. Every freelance midwife now has to pay a whopping 20 percent a year, for a total of 6,274 euros. For comparison: For a birth certificate, a midwife receives the association "Midwives for Germany e.V." According to 237.85 euros for a home birth 548.80 euros and for birth in the birth house 467.20 euros. Considering that a birth often takes many hours and the midwife always has to be on call, the fees are difficult to describe as adequate. The consequence of the high liability insurance contributions and the lower fees are rising numbers of freelance midwives in obstetrics. Of the current increase in the insurance premium, around 2,500 of the approximately 18,000 freelance midwives in Germany are affected.

Forced break in the birth house to save expensive liability insurance contribution
Midwives have to work hard to raise the high insurance premiums. With a 40-hour week, hardly one comes out. "Our hourly wage is a joke," says Pauli-Glanz. "That's why our day is crisp with appointments." Add to this nighttime readiness and permanent lack of sleep, because not infrequently the women are rattled out of bed at night. "We go on the gum," reports Tapken. That too is one of the reasons for the midwives to now pull the emergency brake and take a forced break over the summer at obstetrics. How it continues afterwards is still uncertain.

Actually compensates for the increased liability premium by the health insurance companies. However, the negotiations about the height failed with the midwife association. "The situation is extremely difficult. On the one hand, we were unable to reach an agreement with the health insurance companies on the compensation for third-party liability premiums. This means that the midwives must first cope with the increase alone. On the other hand, there is still no agreement on the design of the guarantee supplement, which should also enable midwives with few births to pay the liability premium, "explains Katharina Jeschke, who negotiates for the German midwife association with the health insurance top association GKV.

Midwives with few births are particularly hard on raising the liability premium
Midwives, who care for only a few births a year, find the increase in the liability premium particularly harsh. "There is a problem of distribution and justice between the midwives," reports Florian Lanz of the GKV in an interview with the news agency. "When compensating for the liability premiums, some overpaid, others get too little." To end this injustice, provides the legislature from July 1, a so-called seizure surcharge for midwives with little births. However, the midwives' association and the cash registers are arguing about its design. Thus, the GKV wants every midwife every two months to pay a supplement, provided that she has cared for at least one birth. However, the Midwives Association considers this proposal to be unlawful. In addition, the sum is too low. Now, an arbitration board should decide, but this can take months. However, a long-term solution will not bring about this decision as long as the premiums for midwives continue to rise. (Ag)