In view of the rising health insurance contributions from January 1st, 2022, IG Metall has spoken out in favor of a “radical reform”. “Politicians have been tinkering around with the ailing health system without a therapy plan for years. The finances may still be reasonably stable for 2023, after which the situation could become precarious. We need a radical reform of the GKV finances,” said Hans-Jürgen Urban, the responsible executive board member of IG Metall.
The measures of the Spahn era would have increased the remuneration for doctors or providers of health apps, but not improved care. “Apart from expenses, nothing has been done,” said trade unionist Urban. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who wants to answer the bottlenecks in medicines with higher prices for medicines, is now reacting in a similar way. Here, too, one runs the risk of becoming more expensive instead of better.
“Reliable supply structures for medicines cannot be created by rewarding the pharmaceutical industry with higher prices at the expense of patients and insured persons,” said Hans-Jürgen Urban. “We don’t need more expensive medical care, we need better ones. Obligation to keep minimum stocks, requirements for availability and diversification of supply chains are keywords that the health insurance companies rightly mention when it comes to possible solutions.”
According to Urban, limits must be placed on price increases for service providers. But: “A good supply can and will also cost something in the future. However, fair and sustainable financing of the healthcare system will only be possible with health insurance that everyone finally pays into. That spreads the burden across more shoulders and helps those on a tight budget.”
The Minister of Health announced a major financial reform for the end of May. Urban’s appeal: “The Greens and SPD should finally jump over the shadow of the FDP and go the way to citizen insurance, otherwise our health system will end up in the intensive care unit.”
More information and press photos from Dr. Hans Jürgen Urban