Kassenärzte boss calls for the end of the “nonsensical” corona tests: Lauterbach speaks the word of power
Created: 07/01/2022, 18:46
By: Patrick Mayer
Federal Health Minister: Karl Lauterbach from the SPD.
© IMAGO / IPON
The German panel doctors are clearly critical of the new regulations on the Corona citizen tests.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach reacted immediately on Twitter.
Munich/Berlin – Hard fronts between doctors and the Federal Ministry of Health: Andreas Gassen, the chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), had demanded a complete cessation of the corona citizen tests.
And turned to the house of Karl Lauterbach (SPD).
But the health minister doesn't want to know anything about it.
Corona citizen tests: Free tests from July 1st only for risk groups
“These nonsensical tests must be abolished.
They are far too expensive, the bureaucracy is huge and the epidemiological significance is zero," Gassen told the
Bild newspaper
.
It was a "completely pointless event to test healthy people with questionable quality without cause," he explained.
The KBV and the Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians nationwide wrote to Lauterbach directly on Thursday (June 30) and stated that they “will no longer be able to bill and pay out” citizen tests in the future.
Lauterbach's answer followed - publicly understandable - on Twitter: "We are already in constructive talks with the KBV and Mr. Gassen about the billing of the citizen tests.
The tests will remain and will be billed correctly from today.
They are not pointless, but help to ensure that those infected do not infect others.”
His ministry had previously announced a dialogue to “discuss how the new rules can be implemented in an unbureaucratic manner”.
Recently there had been plenty of discussion about testing for the corona virus.
In the video: Commission of experts - mixed conclusion on corona measures in Germany
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The new regulations in Germany stipulate that free tests have only been available for risk groups and other exceptional cases since Thursday (June 30).
For tests, for example for celebrations or for indoor music events with compulsory testing, an additional payment of three euros is due.
So far, citizen tests have been free everywhere and for everyone.
Corona virus: high number of cases in Germany at the beginning of July
The change comes at a time when the number of corona cases in Germany is high at the end of June/beginning of July with a 7-day incidence of 682.7 (July 1st) and the omicron variant BA.5 is dominant.
Despite his criticism of the citizen tests, KBV boss Gassen emphasized the importance of PCR tests if someone had clearly recognizable corona symptoms.
(pm)
