The minister sees a need of four billion euros in hospitals and 650 million euros in inpatient care.
(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)
Berlin In view of the rising electricity and gas prices, the Ministry of Health is planning further aid for hospitals and care facilities. The ministry sees a need of four billion euros in hospitals and 650 million euros in inpatient care. The aid should initially be limited until March 31, 2023.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) negotiated the package with Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) on Tuesday. It is still unclear how and in what form the aid will actually come. The Ministry of Finance must now decide on this, according to government circles.
Before the negotiations, Lauterbach pointed out the difficult financial situation of the clinics. “What you can say for sure is that the hospitals will have a very drastic liquidity problem in the next few months,” said Lauterbach on ARD. “That has to be solved.” However, he rejected help based on the watering can principle. “We want to have a regulation that is accurate,” he said.
Hospital society puts the need at eight billion euros
The additional needs of the facilities have already taken into account the aid from the 200 billion euro economic stabilization fund. Among other things, it provides for a gas price brake. In addition, electricity prices are to be dampened.
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If you subtract this help from the expected price development, there is still a gap in the amount now planned, according to the Ministry of Health. Hospitals consume a lot of energy, also because of outdated equipment. In addition, the sum should take into account the increased inflation, which is reflected in the material costs for medical goods and food, for example.
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The German Hospital Society (DKG) had put the additional requirement for the coming year at eight billion euros. One half is attributable to the increased energy costs, the other half to general inflation. However, this did not take into account the measures from the Economic Stabilization Fund. The DKG points out that clinics cannot increase their prices like other companies in order to at least partially absorb the prices on their own.
In addition to the economic stabilization fund, the additional need for care also takes into account the already planned “Wohngeld Plus”. This provides for a permanent heating cost component as a supplement to the housing benefit, which is intended to relieve those in need of care and their relatives. The personal contribution, which has been increasing for years, is already a considerable burden. It could increase dramatically again due to the energy costs, so the concern.
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