- Hospital society: Hospital reforms cause great concern
Healthcare Reform by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is causing concern among hospitals in Brandenburg, even after months of debate. "I'm already looking at 2025 with great concern," said Michael Jacob, CEO of the state hospital association, in an interview with dpa in Potsdam. "The current plans for funding operating costs won't work," he said. "If the reform comes as it is now in the cabinet draft, we will face major problems in the region." There's concern that gaps in care could emerge in rural areas, forcing patients to travel further.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is convinced that the controversial reform between the federal government and the states will come into effect at the turn of the year. He will visit the GLG Werner Forssmann Clinic in Eberswalde on Thursday.
Lauterbach pushed the reform through the Bundestag despite ongoing resistance from the states. The bill aims to ease financial pressure and establish uniform quality standards by changing the payment system to include flat rates for treatment cases. In the future, hospitals will receive 60 percent of their payment just for maintaining certain services. The funding by health insurers will be based on more precisely defined "performance groups" that also set minimum requirements.
Jacob said the hospital association is not against reform, but he believes the current plans are not beneficial for rural regions. He called for more leeway for the states and not a rigid framework. "What works for the Uckermark may not work for the Lusatia or the dense region of Potsdam," he said. "A one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable." The states also need more freedom to allow hospitals to offer more outpatient services.
Many hospitals are in the red due to deficits, with counties also contributing millions as shareholders. In Brandenburg, there are 54 hospitals at 66 locations, down from 73 hospitals in 1990.
The proposed healthcare reform, with its plans for changing the payment system and introducing flat rates, is set to be a topic of discussion during Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach's visit to the GLG Werner Forssmann Clinic in Eberswalde, located in the same Brandenburg region that is expressing concern over the reform's impact on rural hospitals, such as those in Potsdam.
Despite the federal government's push to implement the reform, Michael Jacob, CEO of the state hospital association, continues to advocate for more flexibility for the states and rural regions, believing that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be beneficial for varying regions like Uckermark, Lusatia, and dense regions like Potsdam.
