Berlin (ots) – In the coalition agreement, the parties of the governing coalition have agreed on important decisions regarding the future of prevention and rehabilitation. Time is running out for the implementation of the agreements. DEGEMED therefore appeals to the members of the traffic light groups: “It’s half-time: Implement the coalition agreement now!”
DEGEMED’s central demand includes the abolition of the rehabilitation budget. The rehabilitation budget currently limits the pension insurance’s expenditure on rehabilitation and participation. The legislature did not set the rehabilitation budget on the basis of assumed needs, but based on the expected development of gross wages and salaries per employee. The rehabilitation budget is not based on the needs of those entitled to benefits, but on the gross wages of the population. “That has to change,” says Dr. Constanze Schaal, CEO of DEGEMED, at the DEGEMED Members’ Conference. “The financing of rehabilitation and prevention services should be based on the needs of those entitled to benefits. Anyone who needs rehabilitation, whether as a result of a private accident, an acute illness or a chronic illness, must get it,” says Dr. Constanze Schal.
In the coalition agreement, the federal government intends to significantly expand prevention services. The problem with this is that the prevention and rehabilitation services are financed from the same budget, the capped rehabilitation budget. If the rehabilitation budget is not abolished, an increase in prevention services will inevitably lead to a reduction in rehabilitation services.
The number of applications for prevention and rehabilitation is currently increasing. As a result of demographic change, demand will continue to increase. With a limited rehabilitation budget, facilities will not be able to maintain rehabilitation without making savings in staff or service quality. “This development cannot be what we want!” Constanze Schaal makes clear.
From 2026, the legislature for rehabilitation services of the German pension insurance provides for a new remuneration system. This new remuneration system must refinance wages and contractually agreed company pension schemes to a greater extent than before. This reorganization creates additional financial requirements for the rehabilitation budget. In addition, there are investment costs for innovation and sustainability, energy-efficient building renovations and financial expenditure due to the expansion of digital applications.
Rehabilitation makes an important contribution to the reintegration of workers into the labor market and thus to securing a high level of employment for skilled workers. Abolishing the rehabilitation budget supports rehabilitation as a labor market policy instrument for securing skilled workers.
DEGEMED is the leading association for medical rehabilitation. It champions the interests of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facilities and is open to all operator models and legal forms. DEGEMED represents your concerns and issues to politicians, service providers and the public
Press contact:
German Society for Medical Rehabilitation (DEGEMED) Tel.: 030 284496-6 Email: [email protected]
Original content from: German Society for Medical Rehabilitation (DEGEMED) eV, transmitted by news aktuell
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