/upixa, stock.adobe.com
Berlin – The federal government, the states and health politicians from the three traffic light parties want to discuss hospital reform together again in Berlin next Wednesday, May 29th. Both sides are currently exchanging ideas on the content of the talks – with different ideas on the procedure. This emerges from letters that federal and state governments send to each other German medical journal gift. The Federal Ministry of Health wantsBMG) clearly explain to states which requirements of their statement on the Hospital Care Improvement Act (KHVVG) must be taken into account in the legislative process.
The federal states – this year’s president of the Conference of Ministers of Health (GMK), Kerstin von der Decken (CDU), as well as Hamburg Senator Melanie Schlotzhauer (SPD) and North Rhine-Westphalian Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) – ask in a joint letter that the ministry’s position be given to them is made available in advance, this is “absolutely necessary”.
State statements have been available since April 30. “Therefore, we ask that you provide states with a detailed assessment of your institution in our joint state statement well in advance of May 29, 2024,” it continues. Because: “Only on this basis can the appointment lead to a good result”. The letter is dated May 17th.
However, the states do not want to make the results of the meeting public – they explicitly ask that “there be no press conference afterwards” because “we expressly do not want it”. States have made this request several times since. joint meetings were held – but the Federal Ministry of Health invited people to a press conference in which representatives of the federal states participated.
Federal Minister for Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) responded on May 23 and explained that the KHVVG was in the parliamentary process with the cabinet decision and that the ministry could not bring these discussions forward. “Consequently, it is not possible for me at this time to formulate written confirmations and rejections on individual issues,” Lauterbach said.
However, the exchange process between federal and state governments is very important and must be continued. The date of May 29 therefore serves as a “platform for discussion and negotiation on the KHVVG for relevant decision-makers from the legislative and executive branches”. The “concerns of states based on their consensus document” should also be discussed there.
Whether countries will not be available for a press conference after the meeting “is, of course, at the discretion of the countries”. But: “I reserve the right to carry out my own press work if necessary,” writes Lauterbach. © bee/aerzteblatt.de