Pharmalobby influences health policy

AOK-Landeschef: Pharmalobby influences the German health policy too much in their favor

22/01/2011

In the opinion of the Baden-Württemberg AOK head of state Rolf Hoberg, pharmaceutical associations have too much influence on the German health policy.

In the view of the AOK boss Rolf Hoberg, the pharmaceutical lobby determines too much the policy of the health experts. The pharmaceutical industry is equipped with much more financial resources than the statutory health insurance. This will give stakeholders a much better position to shape the future of health policy in Germany. Thus, the lobby associations can submit proposals, which are then often decided in favor of the pharmaceutical industry by the policy. "The writes the laws," said the head of the AOK to the dpa.

Interest groups were able to negotiate 7 billion euros
The contract doctors, pharmaceutical industry and clinics could have negotiated around seven billion euros in their favor this year alone. According to Hoberg, the statutory health insurance would not have received a cent more for rising administrative costs from the politicians. That applies to the last and the coming year. As a result, the health insurance funds are not able to adequately implement the interests of the insured. Thus the AOK boss told the news agency dpa: "The health insurance companies are not able to translate contribution-payer interests into politically relevant protest." Only through savings in the relevant costs and membership increases, the upcoming collective wage increases of the nationwide 7600 employees of the largest health insurance in Baden-Württemberg could be mastered.

The uniform 15.5 per cent health insurance contribution rate for all health insurances brought the AOK around 125,000 new members in 2010 and, on balance, an increase of around 50,000 contributors. Up to now, the change in health care allowance for private health insurance has not made much difference. According to Hoberg, the facilities at the AOK were barely noticed. Last year, the fund had a financial loss in the tens of millions to complain. With roughly the same surplus last year, however, it is likely that this year will be a black zero. Also, additional contributions would not ask the AOK of its 3.8 million insured in 2011. (Sb)

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Healthcare reform: Pharmalobby benefits again

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