The leadership of Charité has accused the federal government of increasing administrative costs within hospitals. According to Heyo Kroemer of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the new “Savings Package” fundamentally changes the rules governing how healthcare services are financed. Going forward, the Medical Assessment Service of the health insurance funds will scrutinize services much more intensely to ensure they strictly adhere to regulations. Kroemer noted that this will generate a massive increase in bureaucracy, as providers will be required to document and prove compliance with every regulation in many more cases.
The government’s motive for the healthcare system’s savings plan is to keep health insurance contributions stable. However, the cuts will also directly impact hospitals. Charité, Germany’s largest university hospital, could see its revenues drop by 80 million euros in the coming year, though Kroemer cautioned that this is currently only a projection. He stressed that the hospital is investing in artificial intelligence and new IT systems to achieve greater efficiency and cut costs.
If Charité is forced to implement expenditure reductions as a result of the Savings Package, it might lead to the expiration of temporary contracts for doctors. “That would affect our colleagues and our capacity to deliver services,” Kroemer stated. “We absolutely do not want that; we need our young doctors.” While acknowledging that the Savings Package is “undeniably necessary,” Kroemer pointed out that it lacks proper strategic planning. He criticized the approach, arguing that the cuts are applied uniformly to all hospitals, regardless of how vital they are to the overall provision of care.
