Germany’s physicians have expressed concerns over the government’s plan to redistribute fees from cities to rural areas to prevent a looming shortage of medical services in structurally weak regions.
Andreas Gassen, the chairman of the German Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, has criticized the proposal, stating that it would be a “complete nonsense” and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the planning process. Gassen emphasized that the majority of Germany’s 5,000 planning districts are not under-served, with only 19 areas lacking sufficient medical professionals, particularly in the fields of pediatric and adolescent psychiatry, neurology and dermatology.
The German government is considering a redistribution of fees to address a potential shortage of rural doctors. According to the coalition agreement, a fairness adjustment is to be made between over- and under-served regions, with a possible reduction of fees for doctors in under-served areas and an increase in fees for those in over-served areas.
Gassen has questioned the proposal, pointing out that even in supposedly over-served urban areas, doctors often treat more patients than the health insurance companies are willing to reimburse, highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to budgeting.
Recent data from the Index Research firm shows a significant increase in the number of doctor positions advertised nationwide, with a 43.6% rise from 2023 to 2024. However, regional disparities are evident, with a decline in the number of advertised positions in three federal states, including a 14% drop in North Rhine-Westphalia and a 15.7% decline in Brandenburg.