17.07.2023 – 11:30
PKV – Association of Private Health Insurance eV
Berlin (ots)
The investment needs of hospitals in Germany are as high as in previous years and are only half covered by the investment funds of the federal states. This is shown by the current catalog of investment valuation ratios for measuring the investment needs of hospitals, on which the German Hospital Society (DKG), the Central Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) and the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) have agreed.
The investment needs of hospitals to maintain their stock nationwide are therefore around seven billion euros per year and thus in the order of magnitude of previous years. For years, however, the federal states have only covered about half of this requirement, although they are legally obliged to finance the investment costs.
Investment funds from the federal states finance buildings, medical technology, digitization and climate protection, among other things. It is incomprehensible that the deficits in investment promotion continue to be ignored. The problem of massive underfunding of hospitals in the area of investment cost financing, which has persisted for decades, is thus continuing. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, PKV and DKG are urging the states to fully assume their responsibility for investment promotion. Climate change and heating transition in particular will noticeably increase the investment needs of hospitals. Cooling systems for hospital rooms are becoming just as indispensable as the replacement of numerous completely outdated boilers and the climate-friendly modernization of buildings.
The catalog of investment valuation ratios for the year 2023 agreed at federal level is intended to support the federal states in better calculating the investment funds for hospitals and distributing them in a more targeted manner.
investment valuation ratios
The catalog of investment flat rates is based on calculations by the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK). A so-called investment valuation ratio is assigned to each treatment case. These ratios represent the necessary investment requirements of a hospital. This catalog makes it possible to allocate the investment funds to the individual hospitals based on performance. The calculations of 83 hospitals were included in this year’s calculations. However, whether the investment valuation ratios are actually used as an instrument is up to the respective federal state to decide. So far, only the three federal states of Berlin, Hesse and Bremen have used the catalogue. In addition, the federal states alone decide how much money they provide for hospital investments.
Two pillars of hospital financing
Hospitals in Germany are financed via two pillars. The statutory health insurance companies (GKV) and private health insurance companies (PKV) bear the running costs, e.g. B. the costs for the billed medical services and for the hospital staff. The federal states, on the other hand, are obliged to finance the investments in the actual amount. They have not fulfilled this obligation for more than 30 years.
A comparison with the expenditures of the GKV shows how the investments of the federal states have developed: while the investment funds corresponded to 25 percent of the total expenditures of the GKV at the beginning of the 1970s, today they are well below 4 percent.
You can find the current catalog of investment valuation ratios on the website of the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK): www.g-drg.de
Press contact:
German Hospital Society (DKG)
Joachim Odenbach; Telephone: 030 398 01 1020
[email protected]
National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds
Janka Hegemeister; Telephone: 030 206 288 4201
[email protected]
Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV)
Stefan Reker; Telephone: 030 204 589 44
[email protected]
Original content from: PKV – Association of Private Health Insurance eV, transmitted by news aktuell