- Krankenhaus BVMed Installation: Protest Against Health Insurance Funds
The Medtech industry demonstrated against the austerity policy of the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) at the beginning of the Capital Congress “Medicine and Health“ held in Berlin in June 2013. BVMed erected a 9-meter long, 4-meter high see-saw in front of the Berlin International Congress Center (ICC). Sacks of money on one side of the see-saw symbolized the high surpluses of the SHI, about 30 billion euros according to BVMed. On the other side of the see-saw, BVMed represented “urgently required medical-technological innovations for patients“ that are now “getting more and more difficult to reach“.
PressemeldungBerlin/Germany, 28.06.2013, 39/13
Austerity policy impedes medtech innovations
“The SHI is hording surplus funds, while aggravating patients‘ access to medical-technical innovations“, claims BVMed CEO Joachim M. Schmitt. As examples for such blocked innovations, Schmitt cites modern intestinal diagnosis using video capsule endoscopy, remote monitoring of pacemaker patients via telecardiology, or the treatment of open wounds with hydroactive wound dressings. Despite proven advantages of these methods, the health insurance funds do not cover the costs of these therapies for outpatients. “Somehow the health insurance funds have turned into savings funds – the only difference being that one can no longer withdraw one’s money from the health insurance funds“, complained Schmitt.
Bahr: Access to innovations remains open
In his opening speech at the Capital Congress “Medicine and Health“, German Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) attempted to disperse the medical devices manufacturers‘ weighty worries. He spoke out against the Joint Federal Committee (JFC) having to conduct a cost-benefit analysis with medical devices as with drugs in the future. Medical devices were not comparable to drugs, Bahr argued.
Patients in Germany need open access to medtech innovations; this would benefit the entire care system, said Bahr. There should be no restrictions on the access to medical device innovations. There were major differences between medical devices and drugs. Bahr emphasized that Germany is still world leader in the medical devices’ sector and must retain this position in the future.
Steinbrück: Medtech Sector is an Export Hit
SPD chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück also commented on the significance of the medtech sector. The health economy in general, he argued, as well as innovative medical technology in particular, is not a cost factor, but a growth market and investment in the future. German medical technology is an export hit that must be further reinforced by politics. “Made in Germany“ has to stand for complete medical care models. “We need to dare to aim high,“ Steinbrück said at the Capital Congress in the ICC.
