Partial agreement of the midwives and health insurances

Dispute over midwife allowances has not ended

07/10/2012

In the dispute between midwives and statutory health insurance funds (GKV), the relevant midwife associations and the GKV-Spitzenverband reached a partial agreement in a round of negotiations on Monday. The health insurance funds take over the upcoming contribution increases completely to the freelance midwives. Still controversial, however, is the future benefit of midwives.

While taking over the contribution increase has eliminated a major source of conflict between the funds and the midwives, there is still disagreement over the appropriate level of midwife fees. Here the arbitration board is to work out a compromise within the conciliation procedure. So far, with the compensation for the contribution increase the professional liability „only the restoration of the status quo before the premium increase“ reached, the midwives associations stressed the need for further negotiation. Because with the current partial agreement at the „Completely unsatisfactory compensation situation of midwives has not changed“, This is the statement in the joint press release of the German Midwives Association, the Federation of Freelance Midwives in Germany and the Network of Birth Houses.

Expensive professional liability of midwives
For months, the midwives and health insurance companies argue about the future compensation situation. Due to the massive increases in the Professional Indemnity Contribution Rate, the Midwives Associations saw the profession of obstetricians as a whole at risk. In 2010, contributions to professional indemnity insurance for obstetricians had already risen from 2,370 euros to 3,689 euros. Since 1 July 2012, a further increase in contributions has come into force and the obstetricians now have to pay a proud € 4,200 for the professional liability. A burden that, according to the German Midwife Association, causes many to abandon the core area of ​​midwifery work, obstetrics. Therefore, compensatory payments for the renewed premium increase in the current negotiations were one of the core requirements of the midwife associations.

Compensation for the contribution increase of the professional liability
Regarding the compensation payments for the massive contribution increases, the midwives associations and the central association of the statutory health insurances were able to achieve at least a partial agreement in the negotiation round on Monday. So „The GKV-Spitzenverband and the three leading midwives associations agreed on a partial increase in the obstetric compensation positions of freelance midwives with effect from 1 July 2012“ in the amount of „on the same date have become effective renewed increase in premiums for professional liability“, such a spokeswoman for the midwives associations. Thus, the contribution increase is completely covered by the health insurance.

Health insurance companies pay the midwives 1.7 million euros more
Also the top association of the legal health insurance companies confirmed on Tuesday in Berlin that representatives of both sides first agreed on compensation payments. According to the current statement of the GKV-Spitzenverband, the agreement means concrete „For example, a midwife receives an additional 25,60 Euro for each birth supervised by her in the birth house or receives 78, - Euro more for a home birth.“ The health insurance companies increase their payments for „midwives who work in obstetrics around 1.7 million euros per year“, so continues the GKV-Spitzenverband. However, independent midwives who do not work in obstetrics should also be considered, as the premiums for their professional liability insurance have also increased slightly.

Midwives reject offer of the health insurance companies to the fees
However, the parties to the dispute did not reach an agreement on the fees for midwives. The GKV top federation had according to own data last „offered a fee increase of over ten percent“, but the midwife associations did not want to get involved. The remuneration for midwife services is currently „so low that neither 5 percent nor 10 percent represents a real income improvement“, explained the midwife associations. Their demand continues to be an increase in compensation by 30 percent, „taking into account, in particular, the confirmation of the poor income situation of midwives by the IGES report“, so the message of the associations. In addition, the advisory board for the professional area at the German Midwives Association, Katharina Jeschke, told the news agency „DAPD“, that the additional funds were distributed unequally in the proposal of the SHI and that many midwives would have been disadvantaged.

The arbitration board should decide on appropriate midwife fees
The midwives associations want to consult the arbitration board next and hope that a better result than the offered ten percent can be achieved there. The lawyers are currently preparing the documents to be submitted to the arbitration board, explained Katharina Jeschke. Subsequent to the submission, a period of three months will elapse, before which the Arbitration Board will not stand. Subsequently, a result is expected in the fall. The Social Code allows the convening of the arbitration board if the negotiating partners can not agree. Despite the continuing conflict, the political side welcomed the current agreement. The Saarland Minister of Health and current chairman of the Health Ministers Conference, Andreas Storm (CDU), told the news agency „DAPD“, that „Midwives and childbirth assistants make a significant contribution to the care of pregnant women, women giving birth and those who have recently given birth, and the compensatory payments for contributions to professional liability insurance have made an important step towards supporting obstetricians. (Fp)

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