Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) answered questions from journalists at his summer press conference. /image alliance, Bernd von Jutrczenka
Berlin – Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) calls for greater efficiency in the healthcare system, taking into account increasing contributions to statutory health insurance and nursing care.
“When it comes to health insurance and nursing care insurance, we have to do everything we can to gain efficiency,” Scholz said when asked German medical journal at the Federal Chancellor’s traditional summer press conference in Berlin.
In all considerations of reform, “the most important thing is always to use all efficiency reserves.” However: “What is out of the question for me are benefit cuts for insured persons.” “That is a bad number and I do not agree with it,” Scholz continued.
For him, increasing efficiency is also a central issue in the upcoming hospital reform. “The economic reserves of hospitals must be used. With the hospital reform, we ensure that there will be a large number of hospitals in Germany that provide on-site care, as well as a large number of top hospitals that can guarantee first-class medicines.”
He also keeps an eye on how patients “always get the best medical care.” He also keeps an eye on emergency rooms.
“How can we ensure that emergency rooms are freed from cases that have nothing to do with emergencies? Since the provision of outpatient care when doctors’ practices are closed is not sufficiently developed, there will be cooperation between hospitals and the outpatient practices of the statutory health insurance associations,” Scholz said with a view to upcoming reform projects.
To keep the system affordable, he relies on the country’s high employment rate: “We have to keep the number of employees high, especially those who pay social security contributions. This ensures the financial stability of our welfare state and our social security systems.”
This also includes the policy on the creation of technology companies. “We must do everything in our power to ensure that Germany remains at the forefront of technology,” said the Chancellor. Economic policy must be designed in such a way that entrepreneurial settlements are created.
Even without funding, as in the case of the semiconductor industry, “an incredible number of decisions were made by the pharmaceutical industry to set up shop there.” The law on the use of health data paved the way for this (GDNG), O Medical Research Act as well as “the pharmaceutical strategy that attracted companies and said that was why they came,” Scholz reports on the three initiatives.
The two laws mentioned have enabled pharmaceutical companies, for example, to access study data and find better study conditions in Germany. This also concerns the confidentiality of reimbursement prices and the financial valuation of studies in Germany. © bee/aerzteblatt.de