Health Policy

The board of the German Medical Technology Association, BVMed, decided on the following nine theses on “Healthcare economy 2005 plus: conflict between solidarity and market”:

Monday, 10.01.2005

BVMed board decides on nine theses on “Healthcare economy 2005”

Thursday, 06.01.2005

BVMed New Year statement: “Healthcare politics must create incentives for innovation”

Friday, 17.09.2004

Germany to benefit from integrated care for the outpatient sector

Friday, 10.09.2004

Health insurance funds, hospitals and companies are increasing their co-operation: BVMed’s Innovation Congress presents new healthcare models with innovative medical technologies

Wednesday, 05.05.2004

BVMed special conference on integrated care: a chance for more quality and economy / the future lies in individual contracts

Wednesday, 31.03.2004

BVMed Annual Meeting: Anton J. Schmidt new chairman of the BVMed board, Stefan Widensohler and Andreas Rudolph elected as deputy chairmen

Friday, 12.03.2004

MedInform Conference: Experts call the practice of tendering in the medical technical aids sector “inconsistent and problematic”/ Clarity required from legislators

Wednesday, 11.02.2004

MedInform conference on co-payments for technical aids: Differing practices of health insurance funds: “patients should not be stifled by co-payments”

Thursday, 18.12.2003

BVMed New Year statement: Use the “German Year of Technology 2004” to promote a “rethinking of medical technology”

Saturday, 04.10.2003

BVMed Autumn Meeting in Berlin - Prof. Raffelhüschen: “’Citizens Insurance’ does not solve the problem”

Wednesday, 24.09.2003

Fourth BVMed Innovation Conference: The advancement of a model for quality enhancement and concurrent cost savings / BVMed recommends the „Delta Financial Model“

2003-05: Medical Technologies and the German Healthcare System: State and Future

Article by Joachim M. Schmitt, BVMed Director General, May 2003

Wednesday, 18.06.2003

BVMed’s response to the healthcare reform law: “We need a new healthcare economy with more competitive elements”

Friday, 06.06.2003

Technical aids in the GMG - BVMed: “The provision of services and quality of care with medical technical aids must be given more weight in the healthcare reform law”

Cabinet decided on Healthcare Reform

The German Federal Cabinet decided on 28 May on the "Law on Modernizing the Healthcare System". The draft will now be sent to the parlamentary parties of Social Democrats and Greens. They intend to finish their negotiations on the draft by 16 June, said Federal Health Minister Ulla Schmidt. The law will then be discussed in the German Bundestag (Lower House). More...

Tuesday, 13.05.2003 10:00 - 16:15

Berlin, Hotel Hilton

Gesundheitsreform 2003 - Reformdruck, Konzepte, Notwendigkeiten

Wednesday, 07.05.2003

New BVMed conference series “Medical Technology On Site” - Schmitt: “Medical technologies represent an investment in people’s health and productivity”

Monday, 14.04.2003

BVMed Annual Report 2002/03 published: “Comprehending healthcare as a growth market and improving conditions for medical technology”

2002-11: Healthcare Situation in Germany - A Political Update

Guest article for IJMM by Joachim M. Schmitt, Director General BVMed, November 2002

Arbitration Committee on 5 December

In its session on 29 November, the upper house of the German parliament (Bundesrat) invoked with its majority of Christian Democrats the arbitration committee regarding the government's cost-reduction laws for health care. The committee will meet on 5 December. Whether the cost-reduction plans will come into force by 1 January is thus uncertain.

Tuesday, 05.11.2002

BVMed Press Conference introducing the Roland Berger Study on “Cross-sectoral Integrated Healthcare”: Creating greater incentives for integrated healthcare concepts / DRGs as a generator

'Hartz' Commission for Health Care

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is planning a joint campaign modeled on the 'Hartz' Commission for resolving the problems of the statutory pension insurance and the statutory health insurance. According to the government spokesman Bela Anda, the Chancellor intends to integrate all parties concerned in a reform of the German health care system. Health Minister Ulla Schmidt pronounced that the "substantial health care reform" will be tackled next year.

Thursday, 24.10.2002

BVMed Press Seminar: „“Innovative medical technologies must not be withheld from patients” - BVMed presents “7 points for an innovation-friendly climate in the German healthcare system”

Ulla Schmidt Federal Minister for Health and Social Issues

After the election of German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Ulla Schmidt (SPD) was sworn in as Minister for Health and Social Issues at the Bundestag. Due to the consolidation of the Ministries for Trade and Labour Schmidt has additionally assumed responsibility for the social sector and thus, among others, for the pension insurance. Link: Coalition Contract (88 pages, 1,1 MB)

Monday, 23.09.2002

German Health Policy after the Election BVMed: “Medical technology progress is the greatest challenge of the next four years” / “Round table meetings must continue”

2000-09: Reimbursement and pricing of medical devices in Germany

DRGs: 2003 or 2004?

The timeframe of the introduction of DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups) into the German hospital system is still unsure. After the Hospital Association declared the end of the discussion with the sickness funds for the "voluntary year" 2003 with no result, it is now up to the ministry to prepare an ordinance for the German DRG classifications and relative weights.

DRGs: Verhandlungen gescheitert

Die Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft (DKG) hat das Scheitern der Verhandlungen mit den Kassen-Spitzenverbänden über das Fallpauschalensystem erklärt. Nun ist das Gesundheitsministerium am Zug. Mehr...

Christian Democrats with a new focus

The Christian Democrats want a new "orientation" of the German healthcare system focussing on medical needs rather on budgets, said former German Health Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) who is in the "expert team" for the federal elections in September 2002.

Friday, 21.06.2002

Disease Management Programme: BVMed: Chronic wounds "must be addressed in DMP"

Wednesday, 15.05.2002 00:00 - Friday, 17.05.2002 00:00

ICC, Berlin

Hauptstadtkongress Medizin und Gesundheit 2002

Wednesday, 17.04.2002

Annual Meeting of BVMed in Hamburg Chairman of the board Cornelia Gröhl sets out 10 political healthcare requirements

Friday, 22.03.2002 10:00 - 17:15

Bayerisches Ministerium für Arbeit, Sozialordnung, Familie und Frauen, München

Rationierung in der Medizin?

Thursday, 14.03.2002 09:30 - 16:00

Hyatt Regency, Mainz

INTEGRIERTE VERSORGUNG Novellierung durch DRG-Einführung und Qualitätssicherung?!

DRGs for outpatient sector?

Federal Health Minister Ulla Schmidt considers new forms of reimbursement for the outpatient sector: Diagnosis-related flat-rate
payments for medical specialists, patient-related flat-rate payments for
family doctors etc. More...

Monday, 17.12.2001

BVMed at the turn of the year: Modern healthcare system with fast access to new medical technologies as challenge of the future

Friday, 12.10.2001

MedInform conference: Stricter Requirements for the Re-Use of single-use medical devices in Germany

Tuesday, 25.09.2001

BVMed General Assembly Cornelia Gröhl: "Innovative medical technologies help ensure improved patient care and cost-effectiveness"

Friday, 31.08.2001

New Report by the "Committee of Experts": BVMed demands stronger involvement of industry / Innovative medical technologies help ensure improved patient care and cost-effectiveness

Tuesday, 31.07.2001

BVMed at the Hearing on the German DRG Law: "More rights for the industry in technology assessment procedures"

Wednesday, 25.07.2001

New BVMed headquarters in Berlin: "Activities in health policy will be expanded"