Berlin. In the KBV’s opinion, there should be a bonus for those with statutory health insurance who commit to a primary physician. This demand was renewed by the Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Dr. Andreas Gassen, now in “Bild am Sonntag” (BamS).
This tariff model could lead to lower contributions or reimbursements if it ensures greater efficiency. This could amount to sums of up to three digits per year, Gassen said.
The KBV chief did not explicitly come out in favor of a primary care physician model, such as exists in family physician-centered care (HZV). While primary practice “is often the practice of the general practitioner, it can also be a specialist,” Gassen said. “For women, it will often be gynecologists.”
By coordinating primary care, doctors’ visits would be saved and “one or two tests that might not be necessary would not be performed.” “And people could still receive better care than before.”
HZV bonuses first planned and then canceled
Orthopedist Gassen cited a supination trauma as an example of “uncontrolled use of very complex services,” after which those affected did not first see the orthopedic surgeon but instead made an appointment for an MRI scan with the radiologist. “In nine out of ten cases, it is probably unnecessary in this context,” says Gassen, but the appointment is no longer available for a more urgent case.
Most recently, Federal Minister of Health Professor Karl Lauterbach (SPD) Bonuses provided for policyholders who sign up to HZV contracts. This project was recently left out of the ministerial version of the Health Care Strengthening Act (GVSG)..
The KBV has repeatedly voted in favor of introducing primary care physician models, often including primary care physicians. Already in 2019 and in previous years, the KBV called for “a non-discriminatory implementation of family doctor-centered care” through the KV system. That was back then This quickly led to objections from the German Association of General Practitioners.. (not/KNA)
