Higher co-payments for medicines

Starting today, new additional payments of 5 to 10 euros will be due on a number of medications

07/01/2014

Statutory insured patients expect the additional payment of five to ten euros per prescription drug in the future, because the health insurance companies have reduced their maximum reimbursement amounts for thousands of drugs on July 1 and the pharmaceutical manufacturers their prices are not reduced to the same extent, according to the release of the German Pharmacists Association (DAV ).

According to the information provided by the German Association of Pharmacists, millions of legally insured patients must expect additional payments when purchasing medicines. Because „Pharmaceuticals are only released if their price is at least 30 percent below the respective fixed amount“, so the message of the DAV. If the latter is lowered, the liberation is eliminated for many drugs. Current calculations of the DAV have shown, „That the number of drug-free drugs increased by more than a third from 4,800 to 3,000 the month before“ sinks. Of the roughly 33,000 medicines that are subject to a fixed amount, the copayment relief rate falls from almost 15 to less than 10 percent.

Pharmacies are required to claim the additional payments
In view of the impending discussions about the necessary co-payments for the purchase of medicines previously released for payment, the German Pharmacists Association has expressly stated in its current press release that „All pharmacies are required by law to collect the co-payments for the statutory health insurance from the insured and forward it to the coffers.“ In 2013, the patient payments with two billion euros had reached a new high in favor of the statutory health insurance (SHI), the DAV continues to report. On average, compulsory payments of 2.60 euros per pack would be required for dispensing medicines in pharmacies. Based on the computer program used will be detected automatically, „whether a product is subject to a charge or a charge.“

Additional payments of minimum 5 Euro and maximum 10 Euro
According to the German Pharmacists Association, the amount of co-payments for prescription medicines amounts to ten percent of the price. „At least it must be 5 euros, at the most it may be 10 euros“, the DAV reports further. The additional payment is limited to the actual cost of the drug. „Not to be confused with the statutory co-payments, however, are additional payments or additional costs: they must be paid by the patient in addition, if the drug price is above the fixed amount“, so the message of the association. Here, however, individual statutory health insurance „In the case of medicinal products through which they have concluded discount agreements with manufacturers, they declare an additional cost waiver for their insured persons.“

In its current press release, the German Pharmacists Association continues to make it clear that the fixed-rate reductions also have painful side effects for pharmacies. Because it creates stock value loss, „if medicines were procured from the manufacturer before the deadline at a higher price than they can then be billed to the health insurance.“ (Fp)