The associations of statutory health insurance physicians are on a confrontational course with the Federal Ministry of Health because of the new regulations for corona citizen tests. In a letter to Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the state associations announced on Thursday that they would carry out citizen tests “In the future no longer be able to calculate and pay out.” The editorial network Germany (RND) first reported on the letter. It is available from the German Press Agency.
Since Thursday, free tests have only been available for risk groups and other exceptional cases. For tests, for example for family celebrations, concerts or meetings with people over 60, an additional payment of three euros is due. Anyone who wants such a test must sign that it is done for this purpose.
The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians criticized the fact that they only had 4 hours and 15 minutes to comment on the new regulations before the new test regulation was published. There were no reactions from the ministry.
It has already been shown in the past that the audit of accounts provided for by the Ministry and carried out by the Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians could not have prevented cases of fraud. According to the new regulations, detailed eligibility requirements would now also have to be proven. This examination is certainly not possible for the associations of statutory health insurance physicians.
“Because of past experience we cannot trust that all testing sites will perform correctly“, says the letter. It cannot be assumed that only people who also meet the eligibility requirements under the new regulation will actually be tested. In addition, one cannot assume that the test centers will provide everyone with sufficient information about the new eligibility requirements and check all the necessary evidence and self-declarations.
When asked on Thursday evening, the Federal Ministry of Health stated that it was assumed that the associations of statutory health insurance physicians, as public bodies, would continue to fulfill their mandate for billing and random testing of the test centers. “In dialogue, we will discuss with the KVs at short notice how the new rules can be implemented unbureaucratically,” said a spokesman.