Medical president accuses government of jeopardizing democracy through quick-fix laws

Not only since the controversial heating law, interest groups have been complaining that the federal government either no longer asks them at all or only insufficiently for statements on planned new laws – which then pass parliament in a hasty procedure. In a speech at the 127th German Doctors’ Conference in Essen, the President of the German Medical Association (BÄK), Klaus Reinhardt, criticized with unusual sharpness that doctors were not actually consulted on crucial laws in the health system.

Associations do not have time to comment

The German Medical Association represents the interests of 550,000 doctors. Klaus Reinhardt was confirmed as President for another four years. The “still tight deadline for statements from organizations in the healthcare sector” cannot and will no longer be accepted, said Reinhardt, who spoke directly to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was present in the auditorium. Reinhardt received thunderous applause during his speech (the crucial passage of the speech can be found at this link.) He gave some examples of his allegations, including:

• In the event of a change in the Hospital Financing Act, the association was informed on November 21st. 2022 at 11 a.m. – with a deadline of 7 p.m. on the same day.
• A draft amendment to the Infection Protection Act was received by the German Medical Association on March 9, 2023, at eight minutes past one. Response deadline: 10 a.m. on the same day. What is remarkable about it is that the completely relaxed corona situation for months shows no reason why the draft law should be examined under such time pressure around three years after the start of the pandemic.

Week-long testing should be done within a few hours

However, according to the medical president, the draft laws and regulations are so extensive that it would take days or weeks to examine their effects on the work of doctors. Until a few years ago, this time was also granted. With Corona, however, that has changed. According to Reinhardt, he has “a certain degree of understanding” that decisions had to be made quickly at the beginning of the pandemic. However, this solution has now become the norm. This also affects the members of the Bundestag themselves, who have to vote on complex draft laws within a very short time.

He considers such a “pro forma participation” by parliament and “organized civil society” to be a danger to democracy – after all, it is about the acceptance of political decisions. The German Medical Association is not the only interest group of its kind. For example, there is also the German Hospital Society (DKG) or the Association of Resident Physicians (KBV).

“One is not interested in the opinion”

FOCUS online interviewed some doctors who were also active in committees – and largely share Reinhardt’s criticism. Thomas Voshaar, chief physician at the pulmonary clinic at the Bethanien Hospital in Moers, who became known through the “Moerser Model” in the treatment of Covid patients and was active in several medical specialist societies, says: “Such short deadlines are of course grotesque and require a commenting process to a farce. In this way, you openly signal that you are actually not interested in the opinion of others. It used to be the same with interest, but you still kept the outer form,” says Voshaar. Another doctor reports from his work in specialist societies that one can indeed exert influence and make suggestions “at official level”. Ultimately, however, the decisions on the laws are certain, “regardless of what you write as an opinion”.

That’s what Lauterbach’s ministry says

FOCUS online asked the Ministry of Health. The ministry did not want to give a statement on the laws mentioned by Reinhardt and limited itself to a general statement: “The self-government is involved in the discussion in the run-up to legislation. The Federal Ministry of Health is in active contact with the self-government. In the parliamentary procedure, hearings take place in a regulated manner.”