As of: March 28, 2024, 12:52 p.m
By: Stephanie Munk
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Press
Split
The end of homeopathy as a health insurance benefit caused a stir. Now Lauterbach is rowing back – apparently under pressure from the Greens. But nothing is set in stone yet.
Berlin - The news made headlines and caused some displeasure: Homeopathy should no longer be paid for by statutory health insurance companies, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced around two months ago. The medical benefits of globules, Bach flowers and the like have not been proven, argued Lauterbach. That's why he recommends taking the red pencil in view of the pressure to save on health insurance companies.
But apparently nothing has come of Lauterbach's homeopathy plan for the time being: there is no mention of it in the current draft of the new law to strengthen health care. This is reported by
Spiegel
and
Bild,
among others
. Lauterbach bowed to the Greens' protest.
One is against homeopathy as a health insurance benefit, the other is apparently in favor: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD, left) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). © Imago (montage)
Lauterbach wants to continue to remove homeopathy as a health insurance benefit
According to the reports, Lauterbach's Ministry of Health has submitted a first version of the law to the departments for voting. It no longer states that statutory health insurance companies should no longer pay for homeopathic and anthroposophical services. According to
Bild,
the deletion of homeopathy as a health insurance benefit
was stipulated in an earlier draft .
This should save 50 million euros per year.
The ministry did not comment on the current draft due to internal government discussions - but stated that Lauterbach was sticking to his plan to exclude homeopathic services and medicines as possible additional health insurance benefits. This will be the subject of further discussions in parliament, said a spokesman.
Habeck is said to have protested against Lauterbach's homeopathy reform
What's behind the turnaround? Bild
claims to have learned from government circles that it was Economics Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) who rebelled against Lauterbach's plan, as well as his State Secretary Sonja Hajduk
.
They should complain that the deletion will only save 50 million per year and that Lauterbach is therefore apparently only concerned with the principle.
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It is said that Lauterbach bowed to pressure from the Greens. For the time being, the draft law without the homeopathy passage will be presented to the ministers of the traffic light coalition.
Lauterbach relies on the Bundestag debate – will homeopathy still be removed as a health insurance benefit?
But there could be discussions about this again in parliament - and Lauterbach is also counting on the Bundestag to push through the deletion of homeopathy in the new law. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to be no friend of Globuli, and the FDP also sees Lauterbach on his side. FDP health expert Andrew Ullmann already told the
Bavarian media group
newspapers that he was critical of the removal of the corresponding passage in the draft.
But it is questionable whether the opponents of homeopathy can prevail against the Greens. Even if homeopathy is also controversial within their ranks: in 2020 there was already an internal party conflict over the question of whether homeopathy should continue to be reimbursed by health insurance companies. At the federal party conference, 250 Green Party members submitted a motion calling for an end to the financing of homeopathy.
The Green board - including Habeck - then commissioned a commission on the issue, but its work was then stopped again. At that time, Habeck personally developed a plan according to which homeopathy would only be reimbursed if you chose a health insurance plan that was not financed by the general public. What became of it is unclear.
Homeopathy as a health insurance benefit: The current law
The current regulation is that insured persons are generally entitled to reimbursement for homeopathic services. However, many health insurance companies still reimburse the costs, albeit at different amounts. The effect of homeopathic treatment has not been scientifically proven.
There are also controversial discussions about Lauterbach's plan to legalize cannabis in Germany. The new law is set to come into force in a few days - the Ministry of Transport has now presented a new THC limit for driving while stoned.
(smu)