Until 2012 there was the practice fee in Germany: 10 euros had to pay each patient at the doctor, which should deter from unnecessary visits to the doctor, that was the idea. The system was abolished again. The physicians in Germany, however, are now again for a - possibly similar stored - restriction of doctor visits strong.
In doing so, they bring in fines for patients, who in their view are presenting themselves to medical specialists with excessive frequency. "In the long term, hardly any patient can be allowed to visit any doctor in any discipline as often as he wishes, and often two or three doctors in the same discipline," said Andreas Gassen, chairman of the board of the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung". "It's not controlled at the moment, the health card works like a flat rate, and there are patients who use it mercilessly."
However, comes from the health insurance significant headwind. The spokesman for the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance, Florian Lanz, replied: "Should be prepared through the back door penalties for sick people who seek help in the supposedly wrong place?" This was "not a good idea," he told the dpa news agency.
What to do about crowded waiting rooms?
Gassen proposed electoral tariffs for all POS patients to achieve control. "If you commit yourself to confine yourself to a coordinating doctor, you should benefit from a cheaper cash plan," he said. "Anyone who wants to go to any doctor at any time would have to pay more." It was high time, and he was sure it would be very well received.
At the same time lane lamented an overload on the emergency departments of clinics, especially on weekends, for which many patients were responsible. "Then they have time, and they say the hospital has the all-round carefree package," he said, adding, "First to Ikea, then to the emergency department." Demanding is sometimes insane. " The result is that the personnel in the rescue centers have no time for real emergencies.
Also with it called Gassen criticism. "We have to rebuild the emergency care patient-friendly," said Kassenverbandssprecher Lanz. "Patient abuse is certainly not a solution to current challenges." Health care needs to be geared to the needs of patients, not the other way round.