The financing of homeopathic treatments by statutory health insurance companies is about to end. Health Minister Lauterbach sees no point in the performance. The basis of policy must be scientific evidence.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to abolish the financing of homeopathic treatments by statutory funds. “Homeopathy makes no sense as a health insurance benefit,” wrote the SPD politician on the online platform X (formerly Twitter). “The basis of our policy must be scientific evidence.” Climate change “cannot be fought with dowsing rods”.
Homeopathic medicines can be based on plant, mineral and animal substances. The extremely diluted substances are administered, for example, in the form of beads (globules). The scientific consensus is that homeopathic treatments have not been proven to have any effect that goes beyond placebo effects.
Savings probably around ten million euros
As “Spiegel” reported on Wednesday evening, Lauterbach’s ministry sent a recommendation paper to other ministers explaining where savings can be made with statutory health insurance.
According to the report, it says: “Services that have no medically proven benefit may not be financed from contributions.” And further: “For this reason, we will delete the option for health insurance companies to provide for homeopathic and anthroposophical services in their statutes and thus avoid unnecessary expenditure by the health insurance companies.” However, additional insurance should still be possible.
Lauterbach had already said in October 2022 that he would consider removing homeopathy as a health insurance benefit. “Although homeopathy is not significant in terms of expenditure, it has no place in a science-based health policy,” he told “Spiegel” at the time. According to the magazine, the measure would save a maximum of ten million euros.