Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) said she will push the planned changes to the hospital reform through the Bundestag and the Bundesrat by the end of March. “The goal is to avoid the Vermittlungsausschuss” Warken told RTL and ntv. She intends to present a single hospital‑reform amendment bill that will allow the reform to begin in earnest, noting that the states want the same and that together they can achieve it.
The Länder are seeking additional exemptions and adjustments to the pre‑payment scheme. “We can find a compromise that doesn’t address every single point the states raise, but we can still meet them at key spots” Warken said. She emphasized that she would not suggest the states only care about preserving clinics. A transformation of the hospital landscape is necessary in her view. “Our shared goal- and it must stay that way-is to bring real change” she added.
Warken noted that citizens already feel uneasy whenever they hear “hospital reform”. She confirmed that changes are inevitable, including closures and the consolidation of facilities.