Citizens voicing skepticism over the government's proposal to transfer urban income to rural areas, labeling it as "illogical."
Germany's Association of Family Doctors (KBV) expresses criticism towards the government's plans to redistribute fees from urban to rural areas, aiming to prevent a shortage of doctors in structurally weak regions. Chairperson Dr. Andreas Gassen shared his concerns with the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (NOZ), stating, "This proposal shows a worrying lack of knowledge about needs planning."
According to Gassen, only 19 out of 5,000 planning districts in Germany are underserved, and the scarcity is primarily found in regards to pediatricians, neurologists, and dermatologists, particularly in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. In the remaining districts, there's no undersupply.
The federal government's proposal to redistribute fees is intended to address this issue, as stated in the coalition agreement. A potential solution includes de-budgeting specialists in underserved areas, offering bonuses for fees in rural areas, and imposing deductions in overserved areas. Nevertheless, Gassen voiced skepticism, telling the "NOZ" that the current market is oversupplied, with many doctors serving large urban populations, even in supposedly overserved areas.
A job market analysis by Index Research, exclusively available to the "NOZ," reveals a significant increase in advertised doctor positions since the end of the pandemic. In 2022, there were 137,591 positions advertised, growing to 161,229 in 2023 and projected to reach 231,556 in 2024, signifying an increase of 43.6% compared to the previous year.
However, regional differences are notable. In the first four months of this year, the number of advertised doctor positions has decreased significantly in Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Brandenburg – by 11.5%, 14%, and 15.7% respectively, compared to the previous year.
In light of this criticism and the intricacies surrounding the German healthcare system, the KBV's stance reflects concerns about the potential impact of shifting funds, as it could reduce compensation for urban physicians, leading to dissatisfaction and uneven resource distribution in the long run. They stress the need for more balanced, sustainable approaches, rather than a straightforward reallocation of fees, to maintain the health system's equity and efficiency.
- The proposed redistribution of fees by the German government to address the scarcity of doctors in rural areas has been met with criticism by the Association of Family Doctors (KBV), as they argue that the current market is oversupplied, with many doctors serving large urban populations, even in supposedly overserved areas.
- In the context of health-and-wellness and medical-conditions, the concerns raised by Dr. Andreas Gassen, the chairperson of KBV, highlight the need for balanced resource distribution in the healthcare system, particularly in light of the increase in advertised doctor positions, which has exceeded 13% since the end of the pandemic.
- As the KBV advocates for a more sustainable approach to address the issue of underserved regions, it is essential to consider the broader implications of such changes in the healthcare system, including potential impacts on politics, general news, and the overall health-and-wellness sector, given that a worrying lack of knowledge about needs planning may lead to inadequate responses.
