Unpaid travel for rescue mission: No accord reached on expenses as of now - Cost disputes hindering prompt animal rescue
Title: Finding a Way to Offer Free Emergency Rides in Brandenburg: A Tightrope Walk for Districts and Health Insurance Funds
Halfway through negotiations, Brandenburg districts are pushing hard to secure free emergency rescue rides for their citizens. But, reaching an agreement with health insurance funds before June 30 remains a hurdle. The aim is to make emergency rides in an ambulance absolutely free for the patients.
"Discussions between the eight districts constrained by fixed budgets and health insurance associations are progressing positively and solution-oriented," commented Johannes Wagner, the district council's managing director, upon request. "All parties are putting in the required effort to forge a secure and legally sound foundation for future ambulance service fee calculations."
A meeting on June 30, led by Minister Britta Müller, is scheduled at the Ministry of Health. So far, there's a consensus on depreciation of rescue vehicles, yet discussions on charges for false alarms are still unsettled. The parties are racing against time, as the peace obligation expires soon. Furthermore, financial losses are mounting for the districts.
Fixed rates causing district revenue losses
Since January 1, health insurance funds have been paying mere fixed rates for emergency services, with an agreement on a new calculation yet to be reached by the districts and insurance companies. Only the districts of Barnim, Oberhavel, Märkisch-Oderland, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Oder-Spree, Potsdam-Mittelmark, Teltow-Fläming, and Spree-Neiße are yet to strike a deal with the health insurance funds. The district council deems the fixed rates as unlawful. In March, the Märkisch-Oderland district started issuing billing notices to patients.
Meanwhile, other districts and cities have reached a deal on the calculation with the health insurance funds. However, the city of Frankfurt (Oder) now desires to employ a distinct methodology due to lost revenue, as reported by the "Märkische Oderzeitung" (Friday/Print). The city seeks to follow the lead of the eight districts in the talks. Nonetheless, it's crucial to prevent patients from incurring any costs.
Ministry optimistic for joint resolution
The Ministry of Health recently expressed hopefulness. Michael Zaske, the Health Department's head, stated in the Health Committee on June 4 that the districts and health insurance funds were making promising progress. Reflecting on the next meeting on June 30, he expressed, "We eagerly await updates on full implementation and the joint cost-benefit analysis being presented on the table."
[1] The discussions involve eight Brandenburg counties (Barnim, Oberhavel, Märkisch-Oderland, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Oder-Spree, Potsdam-Mittelmark, Teltow-Fläming, and Spree-Neiße) aiming to devise a sustainable and lawful foundation for the future calculations of ambulance service fees. Progress has been made on aspects like vehicle depreciation, yet there's no agreement on charges for non-emergency trips. The urgency to finalize agreements is increased due to the financial strain experienced by the counties, as health insurance companies have been paying only fixed rates for ambulance services since January 1, 2025.
[1] The community policy discussion among eight Brandenburg districts, including Barnim, Oberhavel, Märkisch-Oderland, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Oder-Spree, Potsdam-Mittelmark, Teltow-Fläming, and Spree-Neiße, revolves around establishing a viable and lawful framework for future ambulance service fee calculations. The negotiations have shown promising progress on aspects like vehicle depreciation, but there's no agreement on charges for non-emergency trips yet. [2] Due to the financial strains caused by health insurance funds paying only fixed rates for ambulance services since January 1, these districts are also seeking financial support from the government, which could potentially involve funding from the finance and politics sectors and be a topic of general-news discussion.
