Hospital staff in Germany are protesting planned spending cuts in the government’s health care reform package. The Verdi service-sector trade union says workers are angry about a cost-cutting drive led by Health Minister Nina Warken. The measures are expected to undermine care quality and reverse progress on working conditions. The package aims to relieve statutory health insurers of 16.3 billion by 2027 to prevent rising contributions for taxpayers. It includes spending caps for clinics, doctors, and pharmaceuticals, higher co-payments for medicines, and limits on free coverage for spouses. Hospitals are expected to contribute 4.6 billion in savings through tighter reimbursement limits and reduced coverage of wage hikes beyond a threshold. The proposals also cap the care budget that funds nursing staff, which has risen sharply in recent years.
"Hospital staff in Germany are staging protests against planned spending cuts in the government's health care reform package. The Verdi service-sector trade union said workers are angry about what it called a "cost-cutting drive" led by Health Minister Nina Warken. Union board member Sylvia Buhler warned the measures could undermine the quality of care and reverse progress on working conditions."
"The government package aims to relieve statutory health insurers of 16.3 billion ($18.9 billion) by 2027 to avoid rising contributions for taxpayers. It includes spending caps for clinics, doctors and the pharmaceutical sector, as well as higher co-payments for medicines and limits on free coverage for spouses."
"Hospitals alone are expected to contribute 4.6 billion in savings, with tighter limits on reimbursement increases and reduced coverage of wage hikes beyond a set threshold. The proposals, now heading to the German Bundestag, also include caps on the so-called care budget, which funds nursing staff and has risen sharply in recent years."
Read at www.dw.com
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