One more stop for the health reform. According to German Health Minister, Daniel Bahr (FDP), the key points of the new Health Act were supposed to be showed off on last Friday. It did not happen.
While the CDU and FDP would like to add more services for dementia in care insurance (without raising the premiums), the CSU wants a new tax-funded benefits for people with Alzheimer and – at the same time – for the disabled. In Munich, the CSU has already submitted a draft law that goes towards this direction, and the deputies’ head in the Bundestag spoke clear: “It would be better for Mr. Bahr to accept our proposals”, Max Straubinger said.
Then, financial questions forced the government to postpone the planned reform, that should put some changes into the so-called “Bismarck system”, which is been running since the ’90s but dates back to chancellor’s health reform 1883. In detail, it is explained by Dr. Steffen Peters, health manager for Promased, a company that works as an intermediary between patients, insurance companies and hospitals.
“The German health care system is paid half by employer and half by employed, with a deduction of 15% of the monthly wage. For unemployed people, the medical care from social assistance is included, but the funds are drawn from the money by all taxpayers”.
At the moment, there are about 110 health insurance companies, mostly private; these are more expensive than public-ones, and sometimes pursue their own interest rather than clients’ ones. “It happens very often – Steffen continued. Companies always try to delay payments, and in case of emergency this may impair the patient’s own health. Many privates deny to give the insurance to patients that may be at risk, who feel at risk, including elderly. Furthermore, they send letters in order to request their patients for a refund of expenses already covered”.
Does the law tell what kind of services should be covered by insurance?
“Yes, indeed. But the system is too complicated to be known by patients. For instance: an elderly woman, ill, receives a peremptory demand from her company, asking for refunds of expenses incurred. The most part of times, she ends up paying an amount of money that she does not have to pay. It’s here that I play my role: I get in touch with the company, I make sure that everything goes as it has to”.
This kind of health insurance system led to even worse consequences. “We are moving towards a two-gear health care: those with private insurance travel business class, the other-ones do not – Dr. Peters still says. Just try to book a special visit in a hospital (in Germany are all private): if you have a private insurance, you will get it in a very short time, otherwise the waiting lists can be months. One can notice the same different treatment in the hospital ward: best doctors look after a patient with a private company. Even the food is different: they can choose their meal from a daily menu, while those with public insurance do not certainly have this opportunity”.
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