General practitioners are sounding the alarm: health insurance companies are saving money at the expense of patients!

General practitioners are sounding the alarm: health insurance companies are saving money at the expense of patients!

Current developments in healthcare in Germany are a topic of conversation. Dr. med. Torsten Kudela, the chairman of the Saxony-Anhalt General Practitioners Association, has written an open letter to Oliver Blatt, the new chairman of the GKV umbrella association. The reason for this letter is Blatt's demands for a “serious savings contribution” from contract doctors to stabilize statutory health insurance (GKV). Kudela sees this as a serious problem for medical care.

One of Kudela's central concerns is criticism of health insurance companies. They are required to ensure rapid medical care, while at the same time not fully reimbursing medical services. In his letter he emphasizes that the GKV's expenditure on outpatient treatment only accounts for around 16% of the total volume, even though contracted doctors cover 97% of all treatment cases. A disproportion that makes the situation for general practitioners no longer appear to be sustainable.

Instead of austerity demands, internal reforms

Kudela therefore calls on health insurance companies to look for internal savings potential instead of creating additional burdens for doctors. A specific suggestion from him: to reduce the more than 90 statutory health insurance companies to a single institution. This could help to significantly reduce administrative costs, which amounted to 13 billion euros in 2023. This is at least 4.1% of the total volume that could be invested differently.

Another critical point in the open letter is the strong involvement of the insured in the discussion about health costs. Kudela criticizes a lack of health awareness, which should not be underestimated as a cost factor. To counteract this, he suggests measures such as a “sugar tax” and stricter food laws, which are intended to reduce the burden of disease on the population.

The role of family doctors

The important role of family doctors in primary medical care must not be forgotten in this discussion. Kudela points out that many general practitioners are increasingly suffering from increasing bureaucracy and stagnating fees. They also face an increasing workload. A more respectful treatment of the medical profession and awareness of their services are urgently needed in order to sustainably improve the care situation.

At a time when the healthcare system is under pressure, the dialogue between the medical profession and health insurance companies is more important than ever. Everyone involved should pull together to achieve the common goal of ensuring medical care for all citizens. It remains to be seen whether Oliver Blatt and his colleagues are prepared to respond to Kudela's constructive suggestions.