München – A survey of 2,022 insured persons investigates what happens to wheelchairs and the like when they are no longer needed. (08/04/2023)
Crutches, orthoses, glucose meters, care beds, wheelchairs and around 41,000 other products are among the aids and care aids. In 2022, people with statutory health insurance received aid worth 10.4 billion euros*. But what happens to walkers, care beds and the like when they are no longer needed? 33 percent of those who purchase reusable aids return them after use. A significantly larger group, at 43 percent, continues to store at least one discarded aid at home after use. This is the result of a representative survey by YouGov for the SBK Siemens company health insurance fund among 2,022 participants.
Reusable aids often remain with the insured
Many tools that could actually be reused are slumbering in basements or attics. As a result, they are no longer available to the insured community. Meanwhile, 15 percent of users have given away or lent a reusable tool. Another eight percent disposed of at least one. It should be noted that not all tools can be used more than once. They are often made individually or are not suitable for hygienic reasons. However, there is a whole range of aids that can easily be used by different patients one after the other. These include, for example, crutches, walkers or simple wheelchairs**. As a rule, these aids are issued as rental products either by the health or nursing insurance company or by the medical supply store. If they are no longer needed, the insured person should report this. In most cases, the issuing medical supply store then organizes the return.
65 percent of Germans are willing to recycle medical aids
The possibility of continuing to use a tool alone is not enough. It is at least as important that people are willing to use a used aid. At least 65 percent of Germans agree. 25 percent reject the idea of a second-hand tool. Eleven percent could not form a final opinion on this. It is striking that caregiving relatives are particularly open to the idea of using aids more than once. In this group, 70 percent approve of multiple use. This could be related to the fact that caring relatives experience to a particular extent how much material and money is used for the aids.
We need a more sustainable use of resources in healthcare
The results of the survey show that there is still a lot of potential in the area of auxiliary and nursing aids to avoid waste and to protect the finances of the insured community. For this Dr. Gertrud Demmler, SBK board member: “We need more sustainable use of healthcare resources. It is important to reduce the ecological footprint of the healthcare system, to conserve its resources and at the same time to maintain a high quality of care.”
and dr Demmler adds: “In the area of medical aids, for example, more consistent use can protect the environment and at the same time save a lot of money for the insured community. Money that can benefit people elsewhere. In this area, we urgently need creative ideas and solutions on how recycling does not fail due to complex logistics and storage costs. To do this, it is necessary to take a close look at the typical supply processes in order to develop more sustainable solutions.”
About the survey
The healthcare system faces the challenge of using its resources more sustainably in all areas. This survey examines the handling of reusable aids. Between July 19 and 21, 2023, a total of 2,022 people took part in the online survey conducted by the SBK Siemens company health insurance company and YouGov Deutschland GmbH. The results were weighted and are representative of the population aged 18 and over in Germany. 885 of those surveyed had used at least one aid themselves in the last five years or had seen a close relative use it. For 563 of the respondents, the use concerned a reusable tool.
*Source: 6th report of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds on updating the list of medical aids
(Reporting period: 03/01/2022-02/28/2023)
** A list of the reusable tools considered in the survey can be found here
The SBK Siemens company health insurance company is the largest company health insurance company in Germany and is one of the 20 largest statutory health insurance companies. As an open, nationwide health insurance company, it insures more than a million people and looks after over 100,000 corporate customers in Germany – with more than 1,800 employees in 86 branches.
For more than 100 years, SBK has been personally and committed to the interests of the insured. It positions itself as a pioneer for real quality competition in statutory health insurance. From SBK’s point of view, the prerequisite for this is more transparency for the insured – about relevant financial key figures, but also about the willingness to perform, advice and service quality of health insurance companies. In the interests of the customer, SBK also combines the best of the personal and digital world and actively promotes digitization in the healthcare sector.
Infographic: Whereabouts HiMi
Infographic: Reuse