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Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is expecting relief for doctors and patients this year. © Hannes P. Albert/dpa
General practitioner practices should be exempt from budget caps. This is the right step for the SPD in the Bundestag. But there are likely to still be debates about this in the coalition.
Berlin – In the traffic light coalition, the latest proposals from Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) for better primary care care were received differently. While the SPD is counting on the plans to be implemented quickly, the FDP parliamentary group is demanding better pay for specialists.
After a crisis meeting with doctors and health insurance companies on Tuesday evening, Lauterbach announced that the current upper limits on the payment of general practitioners should be abolished. However, such budgets should continue to apply to specialist practices. Budgeting was introduced so that the costs of outpatient care did not get out of hand. Most recently, health insurance companies spent 46.3 billion euros on medical treatments (2022).
For general practitioners’ practices, an annual flat rate should also replace the previous quarterly flat rates for chronically ill people. The practices should no longer call in those affected just because they need a new prescription. This should leave more time for the actual medical treatments. In addition, general practitioner practices with many patients and home visits should benefit from an annual flat rate for care.
SPD wants resolutions as soon as possible
The deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group, Dagmar Schmidt, confirmed that there would be “very concrete structural reforms” in 2024 – inpatient and, above all, outpatient. “In the coalition agreement we promised to de-budget the remuneration of general practitioners, and we are implementing that.”
Specialist medical care will also be strengthened. The draft law announced by Lauterbach for January should be passed in parliament as soon as possible. Lauterbach himself is already expecting relief for doctors and patients this year, as he said on the ARD “Tagesthemen” on Tuesday evening.
FDP warns of division
The FDP parliamentary group’s health policy spokesman, Andrew Ullmann, called Lauterbach’s proposals “a necessary basis for further discussions on urgent legal implementation.” However, every medical service must also be paid for. “We will above all ensure that there is no split in the system between general practitioners and specialists,” announced Ullmann.
“If we want to advance outpatient care, family doctor services must be paid for, regardless of which doctor provides them,” said the FDP politician. “That would be the first step. Our demand is clear: other medical groups must follow suit quickly.” Ullmann had already commented accordingly in the Bavarian media group’s newspapers.
Virchowbund wants to continue protesting
Since Lauterbach does not want to lift the fee cap for other specialist groups, the chairman of the Virchowbund, Dirk Heinrich, had already expressed dissatisfaction with the proposals. Heinrich announced further doctor protests. The protests must continue “if the entire outpatient care provided by general practitioners and specialists is not taken into account”.
Between the years and on a bridge day in October, many doctor’s practices remained closed in protest.
Union criticizes unclear financing
The Union’s health policy spokesman, Tino Sorge, criticized the meeting as a “summit of announcements and slogans for perseverance”. “The minister does not explain how the new regulations will be financed,” Sorge told the Germany editorial network.
Lauterbach had estimated the additional expenditure for the health insurance companies at a three-digit amount. He said in the ARD “Tagesthemen” that the relief should be financed by the currently increasing income of the health insurance companies. “This reform will not increase the contribution rate,” announced Lauterbach. dpa