The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, a leading German welfare association, has strongly condemned a proposal by physician associations to reintroduce fees for patient visits, warning it would exacerbate existing inequalities within the healthcare system and ultimately prove counterproductive. Joachim Rock, CEO of the Paritätische Gesamtverband, voiced his concerns in a statement to Funke-Mediengruppe, asserting that reviving a policy previously deemed unsuccessful would disproportionately burden individuals with lower incomes.
The proposal, championed by Andreas Gassen, chairman of the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV), suggests a contact fee of approximately three to four euros per doctor’s visit, to be collected by health insurance funds. Gassen presented this as a potential solution to budgetary pressures within the sector. However, Rock characterizes this initiative as a superficial and ineffective “placebo” arguing that it unfairly penalizes patients based on presumed overuse of medical services.
Beyond immediate financial implications, Rock’s critique delves into the fundamental flaws within Germany’s healthcare financing model. He argues that the reintroduction of visit fees would not address core issues driving up costs. Instead, he points to “inappropriate returns on services” – referring to commercial healthcare provider profitability – and the continued failure to introduce a citizen’s insurance system that would incorporate higher-income individuals into the statutory health insurance framework as the primary contributors to the current situation.
Furthermore, Rock cautioned that the proposed fees would likely lead to delayed treatment, ultimately increasing overall healthcare expenditures as conditions worsen. By creating a barrier to accessing essential medical care, the policy risks transforming relatively minor issues into serious and more expensive, medical emergencies. The Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband’s opposition underscores a growing debate regarding the direction of German healthcare reform; a debate increasingly centering on issues of equity and systemic restructuring rather than superficial cost-cutting measures.