The SPD health policy specialist Christos Pantazis rejects self-pay offers for quicker appointments for patients with statutory health insurance. The health policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group of the Funke media group said he considers this a frontal attack on the solidarity-based healthcare system. Those who capitalize on the prospect of longer waiting times to exert pressure in fee-for-service politics are engaging in lobbying at the expense of patients.
Andreas Gassen, head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), had expressed the expectation that there will be more self-pay offers in doctors’ practices in the future. This would allow patients with statutory health insurance to get appointments faster, if they pay for it themselves. Pantazis commented on the proposal, stating: “For patients with statutory health insurance, the next appointment is supposedly free only in the next quarter, but those who pay themselves get in sooner?” Gassen must explain, “where the appointments for self-payers should come from if there are supposedly none for those with statutory insurance.”
Pantazis said, “Anyone who needs a specialist appointment for acute complaints must be able to rely on medical urgency deciding.” He added, “Insured people pay contributions every month. They should not be put under pressure to pay privately for treatment they are entitled to.” The SPD health expert added that the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians has the legal mandate to ensure timely care. “I expect the Federal Ministry of Health to demand an explanation from the KBV as a legal supervisor and to intervene when legal violations are found.”
