Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, has called for a delay in the passage of the savings package intended for the financial stabilization of statutory health insurance. The law was originally set to be passed by the Bundestag before the parliamentary summer break. Reinhardt stated to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND): "Such a far-reaching law cannot be pushed through with brute force."
Ahead of the Medical Congress starting on Tuesday, Reinhardt warned that no decisions should be made before the summer break. He emphasized that all parties involved need sufficient time to assess the proposed measures and their impact on patient care. "Instead, the Federal Minister of Health should bring all stakeholders, including the Federal Minister of Finance, to the table to develop viable alternative concepts along clearly defined targets," he suggested.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) is also expected to attend the opening of the German Medical Congress in Hanover. The planned savings package is likely to be at the center of discussions. It includes spending caps on reimbursements for practices and hospitals. Medical associations are protesting against the multi-billion euro cuts and warning of negative consequences for treatment offerings.
Reinhardt stressed that despite the need to stabilize the finances of statutory health insurance (GKV), a solidarity-based health system should not primarily align its services with fiscal requirements that directly affect patient care. The medically necessary care needs of the population must remain the focus.
Jens Baas, head of the Techniker Krankenkasse, criticized the coalition for shielding the pharmaceutical industry. "The government must not be blackmailed by the pharmaceutical industry," Baas told RND. He noted that politicians underestimate their own power while overestimating that of pharmaceutical companies. He also lamented that the federal government only wants to cover a fraction of health costs for citizens receiving basic income.
