Unchecked escalation in health insurance expenses persists. - Steadily escalating healthcare coverage expenses persist
In a recent statement, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken, a member of the CDU party, addressed the financial development of Germany's statutory health insurance.
Minister Warken is set to report on the financial status of the health insurance system in the first half of 2025. She highlighted that the current increases in expenditure cannot be sustained indefinitely and emphasised the need for an expenditure moratorium and structural reforms to prevent the gap between expenditure and income from widening further.
The minister pointed to significant increases in hospital treatment costs, which rose by 9.6 percent compared to the first half of 2024, and a 7.9 percent increase in the same period for doctor's appointments. This surge in expenditure has been reflected in the areas of pharmaceuticals and doctors, with spending on pharmaceuticals increasing by 6 percent to reach 28.9 billion euros, and expenditure on doctors rising by 7.8 percent to 27.0 billion euros.
However, Minister Warken expressed optimism, suggesting that the proposed structural reforms could lead to faster doctor's appointments. Her long-term goal is to return the health insurance system to stable finances.
The total expenditure for hospitals by health insurers was 54.5 billion euros in the first half of 2024. As the financial development of the statutory health insurance continues to be monitored, Minister Warken's report in 2025 will provide a comprehensive overview of the measures taken and the anticipated impact on the system's financial stability.
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