- The State wants to relieve Jena's single-clinic of investment costs
The state government is planning to ease the financial burden on the University Hospital Jena for investment costs. A top-level meeting between Science Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee and Finance Minister Heike Taubert (both SPD) was held to discuss this. According to dpa information, the talks centered around a financial aid package worth tens of millions for Thuringia's only university hospital, which had recently complained about insufficient funding and signaled a need for state assistance.
The planned relief in investment costs is intended to give the 1400-bed facility the necessary leeway to bridge temporary financing gaps in healthcare provision through loans. The state cannot compensate for revenue losses in healthcare provision due to the current legal regulations on clinic financing. A spokesperson for the Science Ministry initially declined to comment on the agreement, citing ongoing talks.
The state is one of the clinic's funders, having also contributed to the multi-million euro new construction and expansion at the Lobeda site. It also pays a subsidy for research and teaching and participates in the costs of acquiring medical technology. Additionally, third-party funds, such as those from the German Research Foundation or foundations, flow in.
Special tasks of university hospitals
The health insurers, in turn, finance the treatment of patients. They pay fixed prices per case based on the diagnosis. The hospital had pointed out in its appeal to the state that the current funding regulations do not cover the costs of essential special tasks of a university hospital, such as providing high-quality emergency care around the clock, specialized medical centers, treating rare diseases, or a strong commitment to specialist training.
In the past year, the hospital treated around 46,000 people inpatients and around 517,000 people outpatients. It employs around 7,000 people in 31 clinics and 26 institutes.
Heike Taubert, the Finance Minister, participated in a top-level meeting with Science Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee to discuss financial aid for the University Hospital Jena. The proposed relief in investment costs by the state government aims to help Heike Taubert and her Finance Ministry address temporary financing gaps at the hospital.
