Doctors dissatisfied with 1800 Euro fee increase

Doctors should receive an average of 1800 euros more fee per year

08/31/2012

As the top association of the statutory health insurance (GKV) announced on Thursday in Berlin, every doctor will receive in the future 1,800 euros more on average. Thus, the doctors have failed with their demand for a significant increase in fees. Instead of the required 11 percent, they should receive only an income gain of 0.9 percent. "In the future, physicians will receive a total of 300 million euros in addition," says the association of health insurances. The medical associations are by no means satisfied with this result and threaten with protests.

Medical associations threatened with protests
According to the new regulation, resident doctors will receive a total of 270 million euros more next year. This corresponds to an increase in income of an average of 1,800 euros per year, as the GKV reported after the negotiations with the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) on Thursday in Berlin.

The so-called Extended Assessment Board, which includes medical and health insurance representatives and three non-partisan members, fixed the increase in compensation after doctors and health insurers failed to reach agreement in a month-long dispute. Although the KBV representatives spoke against the decision of the panel, chaired by the impartial health economist Jürgen Wasem, they were eventually overruled. „This is not the result demanded by the health insurances, but it is a sensible solution that accommodates the interests of both sides“, argued Johann-Magnus von Stackelberg, GKV vice-chairman.

„An increase of 0.9 percent is not possible with us“, KBV boss Andreas Köhler clarified. „Since 2008, cost increases and inflation have not been taken into account. The mood in the medical profession is highly explosive. "An increase in fees of 11 percent had been justified and the negotiations had ended for doctors and psychotherapists with a fatal result. „Anyone who sends out such signals need not be surprised if the medical offspring fails and there are no successors for rural medical practices.“ The KBV boss announced „clearly noticeable sign“ which should be set on Saturday with the associations and all participating physicians at a special representative meeting to show what they think of the decision. As the KBV as a public corporation should not call for protests, it was very likely that free medical associations would stimulate appropriate action, said a spokesman for the KBV. In addition, he pointed out that the KBV could possibly file suit with the social court.

GKV welcomes the result of the Extended Evaluation Committee
Von Stackelberg advocates the result of tough negotiations. The coffers would not have achieved their required result - a cut in fees by 2.2 billion euros. „Despite the impressive increases in recent years, doctors' fees will continue to rise, albeit not to the extent that their association representatives have sought, "said the GKV vice-chairman. „For the contributors, the large cost surge that would have meant the one-to-one implementation of medical requirements.“ According to Kassenverband the doctors had received in the past year 33.3 billion euros. Four years ago, it had been 27.4 billion euros.

Jens Spahn (CDU), health policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group, considers the annoyance of the medical profession to be comprehensible: „I understand the displeasure of the doctors in view of the rather meager result „Rhetoric and campaign of health insurance in the run-up to and during the negotiations“ was unacceptable. This will permanently poison the relationship between doctors and health insurances.

Heinz Lanfermann (FDP) held back with an assessment of the result and told the newspaper „world“: „Basically it is right that no minus came out. "At the same time he warned the medical profession against fast and violent protests. „I do not know if this is the right way to close already practices. It does not have to be that you are already resorting to such a means. "

The health politician Karl Lauterbach (SPD) appeals to the doctors not to carry the conflict to the detriment of the patients. It was disproportionate to threaten immediately with practical closure. „It must not be that sick people can not go to the doctor only because the dispute over an increase in fees is unresolved. "(Ag)

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300 million euros more for doctors' fees