Numerous clinics are threatened with bankruptcy

Krankenhaus Rating Report sees insolvency risk at around 300 hospitals

06/15/2012

Many hospitals are threatened with closure due to financial difficulties. For economic reasons, about 300 hospitals are not in a position to maintain their operations in the years to come, according to the key message in the „Hospital Rating Report 2012“, its results on the „Capital Congress 2012 - Medicine and Health“ presented in Berlin.

Already at the beginning of the year, the CEO of the largest German health insurance company, Barmer GEK, described the high number of hospitals and hospital beds as one of the reasons for the excessive costs in the German health care system and also the closure of hospitals. The „Hospital Rating Report“ now comes to the conclusion that the economic situation of German hospitals has worsened significantly since 2010 and currently exist for 15 percent of the approximately 2050 pawls a risk of bankruptcy. This threatens around 300 hospitals in the coming years, if their financial situation does not improve fundamentally.

Bankruptcy risk particularly high for smaller clinics
Particularly endangered are loud statement of the „Hospital Rating Reports“ small clinics with a low degree of specialization. There are also significant regional differences with regard to the economic situation of the clinics. The hospitals in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland are particularly well represented, whereas the hospitals in Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony and Bremen have the greatest difficulties. Related to the sponsorship of the clinics shows the „Hospital Rating Report“ tending to face greater financial problems at the public health clinics, while the non-profit or private hospitals are much better off. Accordingly, 18 percent of public-sector phone calls are in the red, whereas only nine percent of private-sector and two-percent private clinics have corresponding problems. There is also a connection between the cost-effectiveness and the quality of care in the hospitals, according to another statement from the report. (Fp)

Also read:
Unnecessary operations by professionals of the clinics
Back surgery often does not make sense
Around 15 million operations a year

Picture credits: Gerd Altmann