Cold structural change endangers patient care - AOK demands fast hospital reform

Cold structural change endangers patient care - AOK demands fast hospital reform

At a press conference of the German Hospital Society (DKG), warned of the dangers of a "cold structural change" in hospitals. The CEO of the AOK Federal Association, Dr. Carola Reimann, commented and emphasized that the economic situation of the hospitals must be viewed in a differentiated manner. Although clinics have occurred in the past few months, most of these houses have continued to exist with changed structures. At the same time, large private clinic carriers publish good business results. Despite a sunken occupancy of hospitals, more money from statutory health insurance flows into the hospital structures every year. Last year, hospitals received a total of 93.6 billion euros from premiums from the statutory health insured, which corresponds to an increase of around seven percent compared to the previous year. The increase rate of Hospital treatments was already over the inflation rate in 2023, which has since dropped to 2.5 percent in February 2024.

Reimann emphasized the need that no need for needs may not have any problems because they are essential for good patient care. Therefore, it calls for a quick implementation of the hospital reform. The future financing of the clinics should no longer take place according to the watering can principle, but based on the planned system of performance groups, which could bring real progress in combination with a case-independent resolutions. This ensures the economic solvency and jobs that are necessary for needs and the jobs and contributes to better patient care.

in Berlin could be of interest, since the city has numerous hospitals that could be affected by the developments mentioned. The financial situation of the hospitals in Berlin, in particular the needs-based institutions, could possibly deteriorate if the watering can principle is maintained. Historically, the Berlin hospital system was strongly shaped by the Second World War and the subsequent division of the city. After the war, many hospitals had to be rebuilt and modernized, while the division of Berlin led to a disproportionate range of hospitals in the western part of the city. An alignment of the hospital structures was worked on with the reunification, but there were still differences between the former West and East Berlin hospitals. Another historical fact of local interest could be the Berlin scandal for inferior breast implants, which was uncovered in 2010 and caused a stir throughout Germany.

Source: AOK federal association/OTS