The proposals from German employers aimed at alleviating the financial strain on the healthcare system are facing staunch criticism from the German Foundation for Patient Protection. Eugen Brysch, the foundation’s director, dismissed the plans as “recycled ideas, many of which are ill-conceived” telling the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that the purported cost-saving measures “burst like soap bubbles upon closer inspection.
The core of the employers’ plan, spearheaded by the Confederation of German Employer Associations (BDA), involves a rollback of existing healthcare benefits. This includes the reintroduction of contact fees for doctor’s visits and the elimination of free partner co-insurance, a policy previously deemed unsustainable. Brysch characterized the latter as “a bureaucratic monster” and questioned its practical efficacy. “Even a single-earner family is becoming an anachronism in today’s economic landscape” he asserted.
The BDA’s suggestions for a value-added tax (VAT) reduction on medications and therapies, or tax credits for those receiving citizen’s income (Bürgergeld), have also been rejected as financially unrealistic. Brysch argued that the current federal budget situation simply wouldn’t allow for such measures, effectively rendering the BDA’s projected savings targets unachievable.
Further exacerbating concerns, Brysch accused the BDA of demonstrating a lack of understanding of existing transparency mechanisms. He highlighted the current digital patient record (ePA) system, which already allows all insured individuals to track their medical expenses, suggesting the proposed transparency measures are superfluous and driven by optics rather than genuine reform. The Foundation’s critique raises serious questions about the employers’ understanding of the complexities surrounding healthcare funding and the potential impact on patient access and affordability.