Transparent sleight of hand without well-founded arguments / DAV chairman Becker on the statements of the statutory health insurance associations

13.08.2012 13:26

The statements made by various statutory health insurance associations on the planned increase in pharmacy fees are no real surprise for the Baden-Württemberg State Pharmacists Association (LAV). “The health insurance companies are naturally against higher fees for any service provider,” explains Fritz Becker, President of the LAV and Chairman of the German Pharmacists Association (DAV). “But the chosen justification shows that there is little concrete to counter the justified and well-founded demands of the pharmacists!”

The BKK Federal Association had declared that pharmacists' remuneration had increased, even though no formal fee adjustment had taken place since 2004. “That’s of course nonsense – and I’m sure the BKK federal association knows that too,” comments Becker. “Anyone who has looked at the available figures even cursorily knows that the pharmacies’ earnings situation has clearly declined in six of the past eight years.”

So the LAV president is not surprised that the health insurance companies' cardinal argument is that the data provided by pharmacists is questioned. Becker: “It’s a transparent sleight of hand that everyone knows: If you don’t have any good arguments of your own, then simply doubt the data base first.”

Becker continued: “Our data is correct and is not being questioned by politicians. But the calculation methodology chosen by the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWi) is illogical, incorrect in its substance and therefore produces incorrect results.” The BMWi decided to offset increased gross profits in recent years against the increased additional expenses in the area of material and personnel costs. “With such a bill, the services of the industry are not only not valued, but they are penalized. The additional work that has to be done in recent years caused by the legislature, especially in connection with the discount agreements, remains completely ignored. This is so unacceptable!”

In this context, Becker also opposes the demand put forward by the health insurance associations that further cost increases in pharmacies should not be taken into account in future advance negotiations. “The arbitration board has specified a clear catalog of criteria for determining the amount of the deduction, which must be used in future calculations. We will not accept unilateral demands from health insurance companies or corresponding specifications in this matter that the BMWi is not legally entitled to make.”