Health
Draft: Facilitation planned for general practitioners
Upper limits on remuneration (budgets) should be lifted for general practitioners – as they have been for pediatricians. photo
© Stephan Jansen/dpa
Sometimes there are longer waiting times. Sometimes there is no successor for a practice in the countryside: the health services available are strained in many places. Can a mix of several measures counteract this?
According to the Federal Ministry of Health’s legislative plans, on-site care with general practitioners’ practices and other offers is to be more secure. People do not have the same opportunities everywhere in Germany to realize their rights to advice, provision of prevention services and care, according to a draft document from the department that is available to the dpa. Improvements should therefore be made for, among other things General practitioners in order to “continue to ensure comprehensive care in the future”.
Specifically, upper limits on remuneration (budgets) should be lifted for general practitioners – as has already been the case for pediatricians. In addition, an annual “flat rate” is to be introduced for the treatment of chronically ill patients who are constantly receiving medication. This should also avoid visits to the practice to pick up follow-up prescriptions and allow more treatment freedom overall. According to the draft, a “reserve fee” should also be regulated if family doctors meet certain criteria – for example with home and nursing home visits or with practice opening times.
“Many medical practices are working at their limits”
Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had already announced the legal plans after a meeting with medical representatives. Green health expert Janosch Dahmen told the dpa that this would finally mean an improvement in practice care and a strengthening of resident doctors. “Many medical practices are working at their limits.” The aging population suffers from this. “This is now evident when looking for specialist appointments in cities as well as in primary care in rural areas.” The overdue structural reforms should now under no circumstances be further delayed or even blocked in the cabinet.
According to the draft, “health kiosks” should also be able to be established in regions and districts with many socially disadvantaged people as easily accessible advice for treatment and prevention. The “right of initiative” for this lies with the municipalities; existing premises or buses could also be used. 74.5 percent of the costs should be borne by statutory health insurance companies, 5.5 percent by private health insurance and 20 percent by municipalities. In 2025 there could be an estimated 30 kiosks nationwide, and around 220 by 2028.
Psychotherapeutic offers for children and young people
According to the draft, psychotherapeutic offers for children and young people should also be improved. For this purpose, a new group of doctors should be formed to plan needs. This enables “more targeted control of branch options” for corresponding practices.
In view of the lack of young talent, the draft also provides funding for more medical study places. To this end, two additional study places should be financed for every place financed by a state. A fund should be set up for this purpose. It should therefore be fed from the liquidity reserve of the health fund, the money collection point of the statutory health insurance companies.