- Minister Grimm-Benne justifies the hospital's procedure
"The State Health Minister, Petra Grimm-Benne from SPD in Saxony-Anhalt, is against pushing clinic specializations through government regulations at the moment. She thinks it's wiser to wait for the federal government's hospital reform, as she shared in an interview with 'Mitteldeutsche Zeitung' (Thursday)."
"If a state imposes restrictions on specific services, it could potentially put businesses at risk," said the Minister. "If this is challenged in court later, it could lead to compensation claims. As a Minister, it's my responsibility to safeguard the hospitals. I can't make them join partnerships that might be against federal law in the future."
At present, Saxony-Anhalt has 44 hospitals with a total of 53 locations. Many clinics are struggling financially due to costs escalating faster than the revenue they get from health insurance companies for patient treatment. Furthermore, the number of cases has dropped compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, talks about potential reforms have been ongoing at both federal and state levels.
"The hospital plan acts as a foundation for performance and quality agreements that service providers negotiate with health insurance companies," stated the Minister. "The CDU parliamentary group has urged me to speed up developing a new hospital plan. 'She should act' said the group leader, Guido Heuer. Grimm-Benne replied that waiting for the federal government would prevent lawsuits."
The Minister of Health anticipates that soon there will be clarity about which services hospitals in Saxony-Anhalt can offer in the future and which ones they cannot. "By the end of September, the federal government will give us software that can indicate for each hospital if it can survive economically with the new lump sum and the services it plans to offer, or if it will end up in the red. Then each hospital will know if it can carry on as is or if changes are necessary."
Once again, Grimm-Benne highlighted that many hospitals are already cooperating. "Several providers have already reduced the number of beds. When the federal law comes, there will be a centralization of services, while many hospitals have already entered into partnerships or are preparing to do so."
"Given the complexities of hospital operations and potential legal implications, it would be beneficial for Saxony-Anhalt to align its actions with the federal government's planned reforms," the Minister suggested. "The Commission, which includes members from the European Parliament, could provide valuable insights on international best practices in this regard."
