Brandenburg is fighting against financial risks in emergency services!

Brandenburg is fighting against financial risks in emergency services!

In the last few months, the situation surrounding the assumption of costs for rescue operations in Brandenburg has changed significantly. The current question is how to deal with so-called wrong trips - operations in which no patient is transported to the hospital. There is a clear need for action: Health Minister Britta Müller is calling for a federal regulation from the federal government in order to reduce the financial risks for districts and cities. The state parliament has already agreed to this request and is pushing for solutions to fix the problems in the emergency system. This reports Time online.

The current situation is anything but easy. In nine Brandenburg districts, including Barnim and Potsdam-Mittelmark, health insurance companies no longer reimburse all costs for rescue missions, which leads to massive financial pressure on the affected districts. An example: An ambulance call in Teltow-Fläming costs 1,449 euros, but the health insurance companies only reimburse 794 euros. This happens because the health insurance companies consider the deployment costs to be excessive. Therefore, the districts have to pass on more and more fees to the health insurance companies, which could ultimately affect citizens. RBB24 recently reported on it.

Financial uncertainties and their consequences

The unclear cost structure puts the rescue service in a precarious position. The districts tried to negotiate with the health insurance companies to reach an agreement, but were unable to find anything. In addition, the population must expect that they may have to pay for rescue operations out of their own pockets if the reimbursement of costs is not clearly regulated. In Märkisch-Oderland, for example, it has already been decided to charge fees retroactively to January 1st.

The discussion about the wrong trips makes it clear how extensive the problems within German emergency care are. This was already a hot topic before the Corona crisis, and current developments now clearly show that it is time to tackle fundamental reforms. Federal Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach has emphasized the need for a revolution in the hospital sector, while at the same time the pressure to reform emergency care is growing. A draft law to improve emergency care provides for the creation of integrated emergency centers that are intended to ensure cross-sector care. Economic service reports that despite the pressing problems, previous legislative initiatives have often failed.

In summary, it can be said: Emergency care in Germany is facing challenges that extend far beyond Brandenburg. The insufficient coordination between the federal and state governments, the increasing number of deployments and the non-transparent cost structures create an environment that is problematic for both patients and emergency services. Given the increasing pressure, it will be exciting to see how politicians react to this explosive issue and what steps are taken to better position the health system in the future.