IfH: Patients are demanding a reduction in bureaucracy and are threatening to change health insurance companies

12.12.2011 13:09

Almost 80 percent of German citizens believe that their health care suffers from bureaucratic requirements from health insurance companies.

While the federal government has declared reducing bureaucracy in Germany to be a top priority, the bureaucratic requirements of German health insurance companies towards doctors and pharmacists seem to be increasing more and more. A population-representative study by the IfH Pharma Experts at the Institute for Commercial Research in Cologne shows that eight out of ten German citizens have the impression that the work of their doctors and pharmacists is increasingly being used by bureaucratic requirements from health insurance companies.

Increasing bureaucracy in pharmacies and doctor's offices

According to a study by the Münster University of Applied Sciences, pharmacy staff spend an average of 90 minutes a day dealing with bureaucratic matters. This particularly includes the handling of the numerous discount agreements that health insurance companies conclude with drug manufacturers. Currently, due to the comprehensive checking of drug prescriptions by individual company health insurance companies, a particularly high administrative and testing effort is being generated in pharmacies.

There is no reduction in bureaucracy in sight for the medical profession either. A survey has shown that around 80 percent of doctors in Germany currently spend at least two hours a day on paperwork. For almost one in five respondents it is even more than three hours per day.

Patient care at risk?

While the increasing bureaucracy means a lot of work for doctors and pharmacists, it does pose risks
also a danger to the supply of the population. time devoted to bureaucratic tasks,
is not available to care for patients in the pharmacy or doctor's office. According to the IFH survey, 78 percent of the population already has the feeling that their care as a patient is suffering because of the bureaucratic requirements. This leads to uncertainty and dissatisfaction on the part of patients.

The health insurance companies could soon feel the reluctance. According to the IfH study, almost one in three Germans can imagine switching health insurance companies due to bureaucratic hurdles. 45 percent say they want to complain first.