More circumcisions in Germany in boys

Increase in circumcision among preschoolers

20/10/2013

The number of outpatient circumcisions of boys under the age of five has risen by a third over the last five years. There are indications of billing fraud.

One third more circumcisions
As reported by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (F.A.S.), the number of outpatient circumcisions of boys under the age of five increased by 34 percent between 2008 and 2011. For the years 2006 to 2011, the health insurance AOK recorded an increase of 30 percent in foreskin surgery, although in this period, the number of insured boys had decreased by five percent. Although a medical indication would be rare, the costs are covered by the health insurance companies.

Foreskin constriction can be a reason
A common reason for circumcision may be a foreskin constriction that obstructs urinary flow and causes the foreskin to swell when urinating. Here, a urologist's intervention in the best sense of the word often equals liberation, as it remedies health consequences such as bladder emptying disorders as well as repeated inflammations and urinary tract infections. In general, the removal of the foreskin is associated with a low surgical risk and good cosmetic results. Nevertheless, as with any other procedure, there are dangers: in rare cases, the operation may result in painful wound infections, bleeding or even urethral injuries.

A worthwhile business
Circumcisions are a worthwhile business for pediatric surgeons. According to their own statements, they annually carry out about 21,000 circumcisions. According to this, at least € 300 million per intervention comes to their coffers solely through circumcisions. Maximilian Stehr of the German Society for Pediatric Surgery told the F.A.S .: „This also makes it clear why the outcry of the resident colleagues last year after the Cologne circumcision verdict was so fierce.“

Tricksereien with settlements
Research by the newspaper would also suggest that doctors would trick the billing. Thus, in the outpatient department, the expensive foreskin plastic, in which the foreskin is preserved, is billed up to 20 times more frequently than the complete removal of the foreskin. According to an AOK spokeswoman, it is incomprehensible which operation was actually carried out: „In fact, we can not check whether the doctor wrote down the wrong code, that is to say, has performed a different treatment than stated.“ (Ad)

Picture: Nicole Celik