Health - Hospital reform: Lower Saxony wants to prevent bankruptcies
In the dispute between the federal and state governments over hospital reform, the state of Lower Saxony wants to prevent a wave of bankruptcies with a proposal. According to the proposal, a joint transformation fund from the federal and state governments and up to 3.7 billion euros from the federal government's energy fund would secure the financing of hospitals, Health Minister Andreas Philippi told the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper (Monday). The latter was not affected by the budget ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court, emphasized the SPD politician.
In addition, the so-called state prime rate, through which hospitals are financed, is to be increased as early as July 2024 - six months earlier than planned, the newspaper wrote. This should prevent insolvencies "by and large", said Philippi. "The aim is to ensure that hospitals can make ends meet until the hospital reform takes effect."
The reform plans envisage changing the remuneration system for hospitals with its flat rates for treatment cases. This is intended to relieve hospitals of the financial pressure to take on more and more cases. In future, hospitals are to receive 60 percent of their remuneration simply for providing services. The basis for financing by the health insurance funds should also be more precisely defined service groups. They should also ensure uniform quality standards.
Philippi criticized the Hospital Transparency Act, which recently failed due to resistance from the federal states. "The Federal Ministry of Health wants to use the Transparency Act to introduce the classification of hospitals into levels virtually through the back door," he said. At the same time, the hospital reform remains on hold. Nevertheless, Lower Saxony is committed to finding a solution - "sometimes you have to make compromises and swallow toads", he said.
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- The Federal Constitutional Court's ruling on budget matters did not affect the financing proposal for hospitals proposed by Health Minister Andreas Philippi in Lower Saxony.
- The proposed transformation fund, which consists of contributions from the federal and state governments and funds from the federal energy fund, aims to prevent a wave of bankruptcies among hospitals in Lower Saxony.
- Andreas Philippi, the SPD politician, stated that the increase in the state prime rate to finance hospitals six months earlier than planned would help prevent a significant number of hospital bankruptcies.
- In the context of hospital reform, Lower Saxony aims to change the remuneration system for hospitals, which currently relies on flat rates for treatment cases, to relieve financial pressure and ensure uniform quality standards.
- Andreas Philippi criticized the failed Hospital Transparency Act, which was intended to classify hospitals into levels, stating that the Federal Ministry of Health was trying to introduce this classification through the back door.
Source: www.stern.de
