BMC presents starting points for future-oriented regional healthcare
23.05.2023 14:51
In the coalition agreement and in planned legislative proposals, the federal government announced that it would strengthen regional health care. The BMC supports this project, which must provide local initiatives with tailwind and scope for tailor-made and innovative care concepts. Regionalization is the lever for resolving the existing reform backlog in the healthcare system “from below”. To this end, the BMC presents proposed solutions that do not require new institutions or additional financial resources.
“The key to a future-oriented restructuring of health care lies with the local actors. In many places, health insurance companies and healthcare partners have already proven that they can develop innovative solutions for healthcare needs. We have to use their creative power,” explains BMC board chairman Prof. Dr. Lutz Hager. In addition to those involved in health care, this also included nursing, municipalities and districts, clubs, the social infrastructure and partners with digital offerings.
Many projects currently being discussed, such as hospital structural reform, the planned health kiosks and primary care centers or coordinating patient guides, rely on regional implementation. However, the region as an active designer has not yet appeared in the government plans. “Regionalization requires a structural reform that goes beyond mere funding programs and must be long-term. The instruments that enable regional partners to create new supply channels and structures are still missing,” says Hager. “If you want regional supply, you have to provide the necessary toolbox and trust the local players to find your own, tailor-made solutions.”
The BMC presents this toolbox in the form of seven starting points that enable regional supply contracts with degrees of freedom, their own forms of remuneration and reliable framework conditions. “Regionalization promotes a culture of collaboration for networked, population-oriented and adaptable healthcare at the height of digital possibilities. To do this, the local actors need legally secure and reliable foundations that, above all, allow deviations from nationwide regulations,” concludes Hager.