Greens in Saxony demand better medical care for everyone!

Greens in Saxony demand better medical care for everyone!

The debate about medical care for people without health insurance is gaining increasing attention. Especially in the Free State of Saxony, the Green Party feels compelled to protest against the inadequate supply of supplies. How Medical Journal berichtet, hat Landtagsabgeordneter Thomas Löser darauf hingewiesen, dass die Unterstützung für Kranken oft vom Vorhandensein von Hilfevereinen abhängt. However, all too often these sufferers remain without any treatment.

It is estimated that around 40,000 people in Saxony live with no or insufficient health insurance. This number includes in particular people who owe contributions, EU citizens in precarious employment, the homeless and people without papers. Many of them are unable to seek medical help or can only seek it very late, which often leads to serious illnesses.

Legal basis and current statistics

At the national level, the framework conditions are clear: In Germany, health insurance is compulsory for all residents. According to a report by the daily news In 2023, around 72,000 people were without health insurance, which represents less than 0.1 percent of the population. The majority of this group are men, especially pensioners and students over 26 years old.

Another problem arises from the reimbursement of emergency treatments according to the so-called “emergency worker paragraph”. This stipulates that emergency benefits will be reimbursed if the social welfare provider is not informed in a timely manner. In practice, however, this often leaves many people without health insurance stuck on hold and unable to get the help they need. The Greens are therefore calling for a comprehensive network of state support and the introduction of an anonymous treatment certificate.

Demands for better care

In their criticism, the Greens made it clear that there is a lack of binding cooperation with doctors, hospitals and social service providers. This is essential to help those who urgently need medical services. The expansion of the clearing house of the “Saxon Anonymous Treatment Certificate” association would also help to improve the situation.

Although there are legal regulations in Germany that grant some groups such as asylum seekers and social welfare recipients the right to health care, the vast majority of those affected fall through the cracks. The Federal Ministry of Health describes that health insurance companies conclude contracts with service providers and collect contributions, but not enough money is invested in the care of these vulnerable groups.

Overall, the situation is becoming more and more precarious. Political actors are called upon to finally find sustainable solutions, because ultimately the health of all citizens should be the focus. The Greens in Saxony are ready to campaign for fairer medical care. This is the challenge of the next few months to protect the rights of people without health insurance and to secure their basic medical care.