Ambulance transport in Brandenburg: Patients are desperately waiting for help!

Ambulance transport in Brandenburg: Patients are desperately waiting for help!

The discussion about the financing of medical transport services in Brandenburg is causing a stir and is more topical than ever. How Medical Journal reported, the topic is being intensively discussed in the Health Committee of the Brandenburg State Parliament. CDU member of the state parliament Ellen Fährmann sums up the problems: providers of medical transport services are having increasing difficulties in negotiating profitably with the payers. Unfortunately, this development means that patients, especially older people, can no longer be transported home from clinics.

A particularly impressive example comes from the Elbe-Elster district, where an elderly man had to wait six hours in his pajamas for a transport service. These conditions are alarming and raise questions: How can the health care of citizens in Brandenburg continue to be ensured? Berit Schneider, specialist in the Potsdam Ministry of Health, explained that the health insurance companies are tackling model projects in Potsdam and Cottbus in order to find solutions. Nevertheless, the problem of economic viability remains a major sticking point.

New financing structures for the emergency services

There is good news for the emergency services. How Daily Mirror reports, the Association of Substitute Insurance Funds and eight districts were able to agree on a financing agreement that ensures that the emergency service in Brandenburg will remain free of charge in the future. Health Minister Britta Müller moderated the negotiations and emphasized the importance of guaranteeing safety for emergency call voters.

The main issue in dispute was the financing of operations that took place without hospital transport. These so-called wrong trips are temporarily covered by the health insurance companies until an overarching ruling from the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court on a lawsuit brought by the Teltow-Fläming district is available. Siegurd Heinze, the chairman of the district council, described the agreement as a positive political signal for viable solutions.

Financing conflicts and solutions

However, dealing with empty runs remains an unsolved problem. Loud rbb24 The districts are struggling because they only receive fixed flat rates for rescue operations from the health insurance companies. This regulation meant that many patients had to pay high additional payments in the past, but this is now off the table. In fact, it looks as if a new calculation basis for rescue trips is being introduced - without taking empty trips into account.

Some districts, including Barnim, Märkisch-Oderland and Teltow-Fläming, continue to argue about the implementation of these new regulations, while others have already reached separate agreements with the health insurance companies. In the future, the districts and independent cities should agree on a fair and transparent cost-performance calculation in order to reduce the financial burden and ensure good supply at all times.

It will be exciting to see how the situation develops. What is certain is that the health and mobility of citizens will continue to be a central issue in the future that must stimulate both politicians and those responsible for paying for it to take action.