Financial responsibility in healthcare neglected: Federal government disappointed with paying contributions and undermining trust

Financial responsibility in healthcare neglected: Federal government disappointed with paying contributions and undermining trust

Reimann: Constability no longer counts

In addition to other important decisions in the healthcare system, the cabinet today adopted the budget for 2025. The Federal Government plans to provide no additional funds in the election year 2025 in order to relieve the statutory health and long-term care insurance (GKV and SPV) from tasks that are not financially relevant. Dr. Carola Reimann, CEO of the AOK federal association, commented on this as follows:

"The quality of the health laws is measured based on the added value for the insured, patients and employees. So it is primarily about better quality for patients, improved working conditions for the service providers and financial stability for the contributors. So far, ministers Lauterbach has hardly been achieved. And the joy of minor cuts in the budget of the Federal Ministry of Health is clearly too little.

The original goal of reconciling expenses and income and thus getting the finances of statutory health and long-term care insurance in order seems to have been completely lost now. The stability in the articles and the responsible handling of the contribution payments are no longer important.

The Federal Government pushes its financial responsibility away and finally says goodbye to the implementation of its promises in the coalition agreement. At the same time, the health insurance contributions of the insured and employers in the healthcare system are generously issued.

This Laissez-Faire posture leads to frustration with the contributors and undermines trust in the performance of the healthcare system. It also means a general cancellation of sustainable economic practices in healthcare. This drives the GKV and SPV to the wall in the long term.

Reimann therefore demands that the focus is back on the financial stability of statutory health and long-term care insurance and criticizes the current inactivity of the federal government in this area.