Health insurance - vdek: Fee increase for ambulance operations criticized
The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (vdek) has criticized a fee increase by the city of Hamburg for the use of ambulances. The massive increase in fees of almost 32 percent is incomprehensible to them, said the chairwoman of the Hamburg vedk regional office, Kathrin Herbst, on Thursday.
According to the amendment to the scale of fees for the fire department published in the Hamburg Law and Ordinance Gazette, since the turn of the year an ambulance has to pay 701 euros instead of 533 euros.
"The city should be able to organize a modern rescue service of good quality within the framework of the usual cost increases," said Herbst. "However, this is clearly not happening. Annoyingly, the citizens now have to foot the bill for this."
The statutory health insurance funds - and therefore the insured - are the main financiers of the rescue service. For years, economic fee adjustments had been made in negotiations with the health insurance funds, the vdek continued. Since the amendment of the Hamburg Rescue Service Act around four years ago, the city has been setting the fees without negotiating with the health insurance companies.
Hamburg Law and Ordinance Gazette with amendment to the scale of fees for the fire department (p. 14)
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The city of Hamburg's decision to increase the fee for ambulance operations by almost 32% has been met with criticism by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (vdek). Under the amendment to the scale of fees for the fire department, an ambulance now has to pay 701 euros instead of 533 euros as of January. The vdek argues that the city should be able to provide a modern and high-quality rescue service within reasonable cost increases, but the significant fee hike is a burden on the citizens who are primarily financing the service through their health insurance. The city has not been engaging in negotiations with the health insurance companies to set the fees for the rescue service since the amendment of the Hamburg Rescue Service Act around four years ago.
Source: www.stern.de
