KBV boss Gassen surprises with savings ideas for health insurance

Berlin. Against the backdrop of the financial problems in the statutory health insurance system (GKV), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) is causing a stir with its proposals for a reform. The KBV board has called on politicians to develop "clear ideas" for sustainable financing.

KBV head Andreas Gassen said this also includes an inventory of what the statutory health insurance system currently spends money on. Gassen focuses on savings potential in the organization of the statutory health insurance system itself, i.e., the number of health insurance funds. Further savings are conceivable through more consistent digitalization, increased outpatient care, and pharmaceutical costs.

Saving ideas in the area of pension provision

This week, Gassen particularly surprised journalists with an idea from the area of prevention and precaution: When asked, he said that he could also imagine savings in mother-child and father-child health cures.

For context: Health insurance companies cover these measures, which usually last three weeks, if they are medically necessary and prescribed by a doctor. Funding organizations include the Mother's Recovery Fund (Muttergenesungswerk) and welfare organizations such as the German Red Cross (DRK).

DRK criticizes “short-term approach”

There, the savings idea is viewed as a "very short-term proposal that goes in the completely wrong direction," as Karolina Molter, team leader for health and elderly care at the German Red Cross General Secretariat, told Ärzte Zeitung. People with caregiving responsibilities are a pillar of our society, Molter emphasized. Promoting family health must be a "top priority."

Compared internationally, spending on health promotion and prevention in Germany is already significantly lower, according to the DRK expert. "Further reductions or service cuts are unacceptable." (gab/hom)