German Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has spoken out against the “discrimination” of statutorily insured individuals in the allocation of appointments with doctors and clinics. “Longer waiting times for insured patients in practices and hospitals are no longer tolerable. This discrimination must end as quickly as possible” Lauterbach said to the “Tagesspiegel”.
“Every statutorily insured individual must be treated just as quickly as a privately insured individual.” Lauterbach called on the Union and FDP to “finally give up their blockade, which prevents equal treatment for all insured individuals.” The SPD politician said, “Without the FDP and Union, there would be no two-class medicine a long time ago.”
The top association of statutory health insurance had previously complained about the preference of privately insured individuals over statutorily insured individuals in the allocation of doctor appointments. The association demanded in a conversation with the RND that all doctor’s practices be legally required to make free appointments available to an online portal on a daily basis, which the statutory health insurance and the health insurance associations can access. The Union also called for a reform.
The proposal of the health insurance association’s top association has “charm” said the chairman of the CDU’s social wing, Dennis Radtke, to the “Tagesspiegel”. “As costs for statutorily insured individuals continue to rise, we will eventually lose acceptance and trust in the system if, despite acute problems, we have to wait weeks and are treated like second-class citizens” the CDU politician said: “Nobody wants to restrict the privileges of privately insured individuals, but in the allocation of appointments, it must be fair. Insured patients must not be discriminated against.