The Heave-Ho, Minister Of
Ambitious, Jens Spahn (CDU) is all. Therapies, organ donation, even the diapers in the care of the elderly: The Minister of health wants to do everything by the boss. In nice regularity, he surprised with a new idea that would justify a separate series under the title of “Spahn calls …”. The outrage is almost always a certainty, even of party friends.
Spahn is not afraid of the Hitting – a pattern can be seen in the selection of topics. Time he is an advocate for the concerns of women with a lipedema, and other times he wants to ban supposedly widespread “therapies” against homosexuality.
At the same time, he is constantly expanding the influence of the Ministry of health – and thus also his own. Because so far, especially the representatives of Insured persons and employers in the social self-government on the key concerns in the social insurance.
Criticism of the health insurance
The statutory health insurance funds have now courses seem to be enough of Spahns alone. Request: Chancellor Angela Merkel and the SPD chair Andrea Nahles must intervene. “Since taking office, Minister Spahn tries again and again, somewhere, the competences and decision-making capabilities of social self-government limit,” said Uwe Klemens from the head Association of the statutory health insurance (Shi) to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.
The criticism of the statutory health insurance funds is directed against Spahns plans for the society for telematics in healthcare, in short, Gematik, which should bring the introduction of an electronic health card and continue to develop. Spahn doubt that the electronic health card in its current Form is useful, but has currently no influence on it.
He urges, therefore, that the Federal government 51 percent of the Gematik-shares. Thus, Spahn could have a say in the future in the further development of the health card and decisions prevail, even against the wishes of the health insurance funds or associations of Doctors, Pharmacists.
“Directing traffic, including the withdrawal of the driving licence”
Shi-employer representative Volker Hansen accuses Spahn, to be in breach of the coalition agreement, which provided actually a strengthening of self-administration. “That’s why a power word of the Chancellor is required, ultimately, is responsible for the broad lines of policy,” said Hansen. The state could the self-management barriers, said Klemens. But Spahn was doing far more. “He draws no guard rails, which regulates the transport, including the withdrawal of a driving licence.”
It is not the first Time that Spahn with his plans for criticism. In his office, Spahn was still unhappy with his Post as Minister of health. He took advantage of the first opportunity for the party Chairman to ascend, without success. At the end of the race made known to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Spahn is not likely to be the Minister of health for eternity, yet he has incorporated now with zeal in health topics and always new supposed problem areas uncovered, from abortion to book an appointment with the doctor.
The Overview
- Particularly great are met with criticism Spahns idea, the software itself to decide whether or not health insurance companies for therapy need to pay. According to the current plans, health insurance companies and Doctors remained only two years time to determine whether a new method of treatment is paid for or not. Thereafter, the health Ministry can determine what treatment it determines to be appropriate. So Spahn had announced that liposuction to make payments to the Fund, if the Affected are suffering from a fat distribution disorder, a so-called lipedema,.
- What sounds like a bureaucracy, poor decision-making in the interests of patients, carries significant risks. Because so far, sickness funds are only obliged to assume the costs for therapy, if you are a proven good, safe and effective. For lengthy studies are necessary, which are hardly realized within two years, complain of experts. Are you afraid of, the Minister of health could, in the future, to decide arbitrarily, which costs are covered and which are not – regardless of the current state of knowledge. (Read more about it here.)
- Also in the health research wants to Spahn interfere. He is planning a large-scale study of the psychological consequences of an abortion. With a budget of five million euros, the study of the most expensive research project commissioned by the Ministry of health would be for ten years. The added value is, however, controversial. Critics complain that there are already numerous studies on the subject. The financial policy spokeswoman for the Left party, Gesine Lötzsch, called the study a “case for the Federal court of auditors”. Apparently Spahn “fundamentalist abortion opponent wanted to win” as a new CDU-voters.
- Several points goes Spahn with his appointment to the service and supply act (TSVG) . The negotiations have been running for months, most recently on 194 pages of the Amendments. The final text of the law is to be made at the earliest in mid-March, adopted. Originally, the TSVG should ensure that patients get a doctor’s appointment, even for specialists. Doctors will have to, for example, be required to provide more office hours to offer and a premium to get, if you give a quick and specialist appointments. But pressed Spahn always more plans in the law, which he presented in a weekly cycle. There are price negotiations in the case of vaccines, or the desire to have children, treatment after a cancer disease. Particularly violently, the plans have been criticised, according to which in the future the mentally Ill from trained Physicians examined to decide on appropriate therapy.
- Another key theme of the Minister of health is the organ donation. His goal is to increase the number of organ donors. For this, he has brought an Amendment of the transplantation act. In addition, Spahn advertises for a “double contradiction solution”. Accordingly, it would automatically apply to everyone as the donor has not objected during his lifetime. In case of doubt, the members may refuse to accept an organ donation, hence the Name “double contradiction solution”.
If Spahns will be many claims successfully, you must show up in the coming months. He has managed in each case: In Germany as much is currently, about health topics for a number of years.
In summary: Since his inauguration, Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU) will surprise you with new legislative projects from different thematic areas. A pattern is difficult to detect, but a strategy: Spahn wants the competences of the Ministry of health to expand and its own Position in the Cabinet to strengthen it.