Statutory doctors require to reduce clinic operations and to expand outpatient treatments

Statutory doctors require to reduce clinic operations and to expand outpatient treatments

The health insurance doctors have asked Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to reduce the number of clinic operations and to create more opportunities for outpatient treatments. The CEO of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, called for a turnaround in the operations in the "Bild" newspaper. In Germany there is still far too many inpatient treatments. Of the approximately 16 million operations a year, three to four million can be carried out on an outpatient basis, including resident doctors.

alleys cited groin and joint operations as examples that should be taken over by resident doctors in the future. This could save around ten billion euros in perspective. This in turn would prevent the premium increase announced for 2024. In addition, outpatient treatments would enable the patient to get back into their familiar environment immediately after the procedure. Among other things, this reduces the risk of dangerous hospital germs.

The health insurance doctors see the reduction of clinic operations and strengthening outpatient treatments the opportunity to both reduce costs and to improve the quality of the supply. It remains to be seen how Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach will react to these claims.

Source: Tagesspiegel, 2022