Erfurt (dpa/th) – Hospital treatments have become significantly more expensive in Thuringia in the past year. A treatment case cost an average of 6857 euros, as announced by the State Statistical Office on Friday. That corresponded to a cost increase of 9 percent compared to 2020. According to the statisticians, the total costs incurred in the 44 recorded clinics added up to almost 3.3 billion euros, which is an increase of 4.2 percent. The increase related to both personnel costs (plus 4.3 percent) and material costs (plus 3.9 percent). Around 27,300 employees worked at the 44 clinics recorded last year.
Costs for clinicians increased by 3.3 percent and for nursing staff by 6 percent. In terms of material costs, in the second year of the pandemic with strict corona test obligations, expenditure on laboratory supplies in particular rose by almost a third. On the other hand, a drop in costs of 3.3 percent was registered for anesthetics and other operations.
When looking at the cost trend, it should be taken into account that the number of hospital treatments fell year-on-year, as did the number and occupancy of the beds set up there. In 2021, around 480,000 people were treated as inpatients, a decrease of 4.4 percent compared to 2020 – and 17.2 percent compared to the pre-Corona year 2019. Around 15,300 hospital beds were set up in the clinics last year – 1.4 percent less than 2020. These were about 64 percent occupied. The expenses for hospital treatments are the largest cost factor for the health insurance companies.
