Panel doctors criticize new appointment service points

Next Monday, the new "appointment service points" of the Kassenärztlichen associations will start, on which legally insured persons should receive a timely appointment with the specialist. But physicians criticize the new facility and call for greater control of patients.

Cash physicians against the new appointment system. Picture: M. Schuppich - fotolia

Service Center arranges an appointment within four weeks
To get an appointment with the ENT specialists or orthopedic surgeons, many patients have so far often had to wait months and countless practices abtelefonieren. But that should change soon, because from January 25, members of the statutory health insurance in the determination of appointment support from the Kassenärztliche associations. In the future, affected persons can then contact the competent "appointment service point" of their federal state, which offers them an appointment with the specialist within four weeks after the call.

But shortly before the introduction of the appointment service points again criticism from the physicians. The facilities would be superfluous, "if many patients would not indiscriminately arrange appointments with doctors," said the head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, according to the "world" to the newspapers of the Funke media group. Accordingly, greater control of the patients is necessary, e.g. financial incentives would be offered. (No)