AOK Federal Association
Berlin (ots)
The AOK is in favor of reducing over-regulation in the area of medical aids, for completely digital communication between the partners involved in the supply and for more competition in the supply of medical aids. These key demands are contained in a position paper published today by the AOK Federal Association for improving the provision of medical aids. In addition, the AOK community demands that those with statutory health insurance regularly receive a high-quality supply of aids at no additional cost and that the reduced sales tax rate of seven percent be applied to all aids in future.
“Unnecessary bureaucracy is currently tying up too many staff and leading to unnecessary costs in the area of medical aids,” emphasizes Dr. Carola Reimann. The AOK therefore demands that the information and control obligations of the health insurance companies be reduced as well as, for example, the detailed specifications for the pre-qualification of service providers. Unnecessary bureaucracy means, for example, that fully functional blood pressure monitors have to be replaced every two years. “If you were to do without this exchange, which is also ecologically irresponsible, the insured community could save millions of euros,” says Reimann. In addition, it is high time not only to digitize the prescription of medical aids, but also the entire communication between service providers and health insurance companies. For example, cost estimates for medical aids should only be submitted and answered electronically.
Price and quality competition severely restricted
In 2022, the statutory health insurance (GKV) spent more than ten billion euros on the provision of medical aids for the first time. Against the background of the constantly rising costs at the expense of those who pay contributions and the tense financial situation of the statutory health insurance, the AOK in its position paper urges that the health insurance funds be given more contract instruments such as tenders or selective contracts. “According to the Federal Cartel Office, price and quality competition in the medical aids sector is currently severely restricted by the dominant market power of individual provider organizations,” criticizes the chairwoman of the AOK federal association. There is hardly any reaction to announcements of contract intentions, often only dominant groups of service providers are willing to negotiate contracts. “It is therefore high time to make the legal framework more competitive again,” said Reimann. “Market-active providers” should again have a realistic chance of gaining exclusivity advantages through initiative.
Instead of only regulating the supply of medical aids via nationwide standard contracts in the future, what is needed is a “dynamic regulatory framework,” says the position paper. Regional and health insurance-specific contracts have a “positive dynamic” that cannot be transferred to SHI-wide standard contracts. The pandemic has shown that agreements between trusted contractual partners at regional level are more crisis-proof and enable more flexible, partnership-based solutions.
Service providers should offer aids without additional costs
The position paper critically examines the fact that the service providers do not always meet their legal obligation to offer the insured a suitable aid without additional costs. The AOK therefore demands that the providers of medical aids be obliged to inform the insured person’s health insurance company of the triggering reasons via the electronic billing process as a matter of routine when choosing an additional-cost product.
In its paper, the AOK also points out that currently only selected aids benefit from the reduced sales tax rate of seven percent. “For the vast majority of aids – unlike food or magazines – the full VAT rate of 19 percent is due. This unnecessary burden on the contributors is socio-politically incomprehensible,” criticizes Reimann. In addition, the different tax rates caused considerable effort for manufacturers, service providers and health insurance companies. Therefore, the application of the reduced sales tax rate to all aids is overdue.
Note for editors:
The AOK position paper “Key points for improving the provision of medical aids” is also available for download at.
Press contact:
Your contact person in the press office:
Dr. Kai Behrens
Phone: 030 / 34646-2309
Mobil: 01520 / 1563042
E-Mail: [email protected]
Original content from: AOK Federal Association, transmitted by news aktuell