Cancellation of the practice fee without doctor appointment incentive

Abolition of the practice fee does not encourage more visits to the doctor

28.12.2012

At the turn of the year, the practice fee will be eliminated. The quarterly fee was introduced with the argument to reduce unnecessary doctor visits. A survey study commissioned by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit was concerned with the elimination of the question of whether patients postpone medical visits and examinations in order to avoid paying the practice fee of ten euros.

From 2013, the practice fee for statutory health insurance will be eliminated
Since the health care reform in 2004, all health insurance patients had to pay a supplement to the doctor or dentist in the amount of 10 euros per quarter. At the suggestion of the black and yellow federal government, the Bundestag and Bundesrat had unanimously decided to abolish the practice fee as of January 1, 2013. A recent study by the opinion and research institute "Forsa" on behalf of the DAK wanted to find out whether patients postpone examinations or doctor consultations in order to save the fee. Another question was whether insured persons go to the doctor more often after the practice fee has been abolished. The answer was clear: Nearly 97 percent of respondents said abolishing the practice fee had no impact on the scheduling of physician consultations.

Almost only younger people wait until next year
According to the DAK survey, younger people in particular have abstained from a doctor's appointment in recent weeks in order to save on the practice fee. According to the evaluation of the study: "Among the 18 to 29 year olds, around one in ten reported a shift. In the age group over 60 years, there were only four percent of respondents. "The study authors conclude that the number of visits to doctors in 2013 is unlikely to increase significantly. Almost none of the interviewees (3%) thought that they went to the doctor more often than in the last few months, when the practice fee ceases to apply.

"Our survey shows that the practice fee, unlike planned by the policy, has had no controlling effect on doctor visits. Ultimately, it was just a pure financial health tool, "said DAK Health spokesman Jörg Bodanowitz.

Increase in doctor visits unlikely
According to the authors, the survey also shows that people appear to be less likely to go to the doctor than is sometimes claimed in the public debate. In discussions about the abolition of the practice fee politicians but also experts repeatedly called numbers from investigations that could not be confirmed so. Accordingly, was an argument that "Germans go on average 18 times a year to the doctor". During the current study, only seven percent of the subjects stated that they had gone to the GP or specialist more than 15 times in the current year. The majority of respondents (57 percent) were between one and five times at the doctor's. Seven percent of respondents even stated that they did not need a doctor's visit at all.

A total of 1001 men and women of different ages participated in the representative survey. The study was carried out by the Forsa Institute on behalf of the health insurance DAK. (Sb)

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Abolition of the practice fee 2013
Cancellation practice fee: Kassen expect compensation

Picture: Günter Havlena