Weimar (dpa/th) – The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Thuringia (KVT) reacted with displeasure to the plans of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to cover the deficit of the statutory health insurance funds. The KVT announced on Wednesday that the proposal to delete the new patient regulation of the Appointment Service and Supply Act was viewed critically.
The regulation, which was only introduced in 2019, provides for performance-related remuneration for the treatment of new patients who were placed via the appointment service point. This should also give practices with high workloads an incentive to offer appointments for patients at short notice, even if they were not previously part of the patient base.
The proposed deletion of this regulation is de facto a reduction in benefits for patients and a reduction in fees for outpatient doctors and psychotherapists, criticized the first KVT chairwoman Annette Rommel. “Ultimately, this is a sign of a lack of appreciation for the practices, which are already overburdened by the pandemic.”
Lauterbach had proposed a package of measures to cover a deficit of 17 billion euros. These include, among other things, higher contributions from those with statutory health insurance, a higher tax subsidy, a federal loan, withdrawals from the health fund of the health insurance companies and savings through increases in the efficiency of the health insurance companies.
