Additional contributions due to increase in doctors' fees?

Further additional contributions due to higher doctor's fees?

(sb, 06.10.2010) The Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler denied reports, according to which the insured would have to set up by the high increases in medical fees on additional additional contributions for the coming year 2011. Medical associations had negotiated on Wednesday, a fee increases of around one billion euros for 2011.

Yesterday, the Federal Association of Panel Doctors and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance traded a record 33 billion euros for the 150,000 physicians in Germany. According to the health insurance association, doctors' fees will rise by around one billion euros compared to 2010. According to the association of physicians, this sum is too high, here you quantify the additional expenditure with a maximum of 675 million euros.

The planned increase in doctors' fees will not lead to health insurance companies have to make additional contributions, said Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP) to the Deutschlandradio Kultur. It will not create a deficit in the health fund funds, because the health insurance companies charge from the first January, an increased contribution rate of 15.5 percent. The same is the resulting deficit of around 11 billion euros, the minister said. The funds would therefore not be forced to "take an additional additional contribution". On the other hand, Rösler called on the medical profession to also make a savings contribution. 3.5 billion euros of the total savings of nine billion euros "would have to be provided by them," said the Minister of Health.

According to the chairman of the medical association, Andreas Köhler, the health insurance companies for the coming year, the expected higher medical fees already included. He therefore assumes that the statutory health insurance would raise no additional fees due to the increased fees. “Yesterday, we created a growth situation that amounted to 675 million euros and not one billion“, said KBV boss Andreas Köhler the transmitter n-tv. The increase of the fees was slowed down, so Köhler.

But the association of health insurance complains that the excess expenditure of about one billion euros go to the detriment of the insured. Because the health insurance contributions would not have to rise so if it is saved elsewhere. Originally, the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance wanted to ensure that the doctors will experience a zero round in the coming year.

The medical association „Hartmannbund“ on the other hand, accuses health insurance companies of making a mood. The coffers would carry so-called "propaganda campaigns" against rising medical fees. These additional funds are necessary, for example, to further expand medical care. In the last 20 years, the system was completely under funded.

The opposition criticized the doctors' record fees. The parliamentary managing director of the SPD, Thomas Oppermann, criticized the fee development of the doctors. There is no more political control over it. In addition, the SPD politician called the planned expansion of reimbursement as „highly problematic“. He assumes that such a model will be a prerequisite in future „to get even a doctor's appointment.“

Even the President of the Berlin Medical Association justifies the rising medical fees. Thus Günther Jonitz told the television station ZDF, that of the „many money“ hardly anything to the doctors. A family doctor would receive from an amount of 100 euros health insurance contribution just 7 euros. “The medical demands are increasing, the demands of the patient are increasing“, said Jonitz. “And those who work more are entitled to more money.“

At the beginning of October, the Central Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) warned against further additional contributions. Contrary to the estimates of the Federal Insurance Office, additional additional contributions in 2011 are not excluded. Although it is assumed by the contribution increase from a relaxed situation, however, could be followed by the high hospital costs, especially in cities for the coffers further unplanned additional expenditure. For such a gap then an additional contribution would be needed.

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