SPD wants to reverse the health care reform

The SPD wants to reverse the health reform of the black-yellow coalition.

(23.09.2010) The Cabinet decision on the black and yellow health care reform is barely a day old, as announced the SPD already in the interests of all critics, that they will completely reverse the reform in an election victory. However, no one from the ranks of the SPD mentions anyone that the cornerstones of the current reform were already laid at the time of Ulla Schmidt as Federal Minister of Health (SPD).

Something has to change in the health care system, because in the course of demographic change more and more older people with a relatively high number of ailments and high treatment costs face a decreasing number of employed full-payers. All critics of the current reform also see the need for action - the costs must be reduced and the finances of the funds must be sustainably refurbished. However, the path to the goal is controversial and the current approaches of the black-yellow federal government seem to share the fewest. Because criticism comes from all directions, not just from the opposition.

Carola Reiman (SPD), chairwoman of the Bundestag health committee, describes the reform as „the worst and most unsocial of all times“ and the SPD genaral secretary Andrea Nahles speaks of „bold clientele policy“ in favor of the private sector. The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach even stated that his party in an election victory this „Form of unilateral burden on workers to completely reverse.“ But what is the opposition actually doing about their criticism? Primarily in the following cornerstones of the reform: the increase of the contribution rate from 14.9 to 15.5 percent, the introduction of additional contributions and the associated social compensation, the freezing of the employer contribution to the contribution costs to 7.3 percent, the extension of the drug rebate on the private health insurance, the facilitation of the change between statutory and private health insurance as well as the savings of the panel physicians (850 million euro), the general practitioners (500 million euro), the dentists (60 million euro) and the hospitals (1.7 billion euro ). The opposition is not alone in its criticism of most points, because the social associations, trade unions, medical associations and statutory health insurance companies also largely refer to the factors mentioned in their negative assessment of the reform.

However, many of the elements of the current reform have already been introduced under Ulla Schmidt (SPD) as the Federal Minister of Health of the grand coalition, and the SPD does not even hang on the big bell. Instead, it announces the complete withdrawal of the reform in the event of a victory, which may be somewhat more difficult in detail. Because, as already mentioned, a reform is urgently needed, especially for reasons of cost, and a future SPD government can not easily do without additional revenue, which is opened up by the current decisions. It is more likely, for example, that when there is a change of government, it will be improved at those points where the current reform is clearly too antisocial or the insured ones are burdened unilaterally (eg freeze on the employer's share)..

The image of the Federal Minister of Health and his party in connection with the reform, especially the allegation of clientele policy has hurt significantly, in particular the concessions in the direction of private health insurance (PKV) and the pharmaceutical lobby were heavily criticized by the statutory health insurance. As a result, far greater savings could be achieved in reducing the cost of medicines. In addition, the politically developed competitive pressure from the direction of private health insurance put a strain on the general situation of statutory health insurance companies. As a result of the current pharmaceutical parcel package, the health insurances will have to spend about two billion euros less on medicines in the coming year, which is not enough for them as a concession by the pharmaceutical industry. Gerd Billen, head of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations, sees this as a starting point for criticism, because part of the cost increases for patients could have been avoided, „The government would have dared to deduce more from the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacists of what they deserve in our healthcare system“.

Meanwhile, the population and statutory health insurance companies are increasingly worried about skyrocketing additional contributions. This is how renowned expert Professor Dr. Ing. Jürgen Wasem from the Department of Medical Management at the University of Duisburg / Essen recently warned against an increase in additional contributions to just under € 80 per member until 2020. This way comes „the capitation (...) practically through the back door“, emphasized Wasem talking to the "Saarbrücker Zeitung". And Karl Lauterbach assumes that there will be far tougher tariff struggles in the future, because the unions demand a compensation for the assumption of health costs. With the model decided now „the consequences of the aging of society and the technical progress in medicine (...) will in future be paid solely from the net income of the employees“, What the unions in the opinion of Lauterbach in any case simply will not accept. (Fp)