Minister of Health Lauterbach has committed himself to a “science-based health policy” – and homeopathy has no place in it. The doctor therefore wants homeopathic medicines to no longer be covered by health insurance companies in the future.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to review the financing of homeopathic treatments by statutory health insurance companies. “Although homeopathy is not significant in terms of the volume of expenditure, it has no place in a science-based health policy,” the SPD politician told the “Spiegel”. “We will therefore examine whether homeopathy can be deleted as a statutory service.”
Statutory benefits are benefits that health insurance companies can grant in addition to the statutory benefits. Some health insurance companies offer the reimbursement of homeopathic medicines as a statutory benefit. Homeopathic medicines can be based on herbal, mineral or animal substances.
The extremely diluted substances are administered, for example, in the form of small balls (globules). The scientific consensus is that no effect has been proven for homeopathic treatments that goes beyond the placebo effect.
Lauterbach had already criticized homeopathy in the past due to the lack of scientific evidence. In March, Lauterbach welcomed the decision of the German Medical Association via Twitter that medical associations should no longer offer further training in homeopathy in the future.