Are Lauterbach's actions sufficient? - GPs' Perspectives on Healthcare Reform
A doctor down the street. He's been there for ages. But he's fading away gradually. Thomas Aßmann, a general practitioner in Lindlar, notes that Germany faces a shortage of 5,000 doctors annually. These figures could rise up to 11,000 by 2035, leaving nearly 40% of districts underserved, or on the verge of it.
Karl Lauterbach, the Health Minister, realizes this and intends to make things better with the "Healthcare Reinforcement Act." But is that enough? According to general practitioners, it isn't.
Things are about to worsen
"This system is pretty good, but it's sinking," says Dr. Aßmann. "The Titanic already sank, we're just dealing with the lifeboats." He believes the current reforms can only delay the worst-case scenario.
The shortage of successors bothers him. He hired a 76-year-old colleague for two days every week, but that's as far as he can go. In fact, he's supposed to cut down on his hours due to his seven stents after an infarction.
Dr. Nicole Bühlinger-Göpfarth, the Federal Chairwoman of the General Practitioners Association, and a fellow practitioner in Pforzheim, worries about this, too: "The house is on fire. We're overworked in our practices. We treat more and more patients with less and less time. Not all services are fully reimbursed. No wonder more doctors are quitting."
On the new law, she says, "We're glad about the unbudgeting. But in other respects, it lags behind our expectations. Strengthening doctor-focused care would've been essential."
The initially proposed bonus program for patients who always consult general practitioners first could've helped. "Patients still hop from one specialist to another. This complicates the system and leads to under- and misdiagnoses."
"We're not getting the salary hikes we deserve," says Dr. Markus Beier, the Federal Chair of the General Practitioners' Association, echoing her sentiment. "There are many good points in the law, like getting paid for entire working hours. However, these reforms fail to address the issue thoroughly."
No, these measures won't be enough to avert the collapse of general practitioner care. "Year after year of inaction is now being paid back. Ultimately, it's the patients who will suffer as they struggle to find general practitioners in more and more areas of Germany."
Still practicing at 70
Paulina Altmann continues to work. Now at 70. She took over her Frankfurt Westend practice in 1991, then handed it over recently, and is back to it. "It's a relief not to worry about billing anymore. I can just focus on the patient."
She's cautious of the current healthcare reforms. "Who's going to pay for this?" She also worries about potential budget cuts. "We general practitioners have been working for free for the last two weeks of the quarter."
However, without adjusting the fee schedule, these changes will be insufficient. "For a house call, we receive 23 euros and 6 euros for travel expenses. That's next to nothing compared to a craftsman's rates."
Dr. Altmann's son, a doctor in Switzerland, receives 250 francs for a house call (that's 252 euros). "Why do you think he chose to work in Switzerland?"
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Source: symclub.org
