KKH: Prevention offers need to be put to the test
13.10.2014 18:22
Prevention offers must be restructured and placed more in the focus of the population in order to increase Germans' health awareness. This is what Ingo Kailuweit, CEO of KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, called for at the 17th Berlin Dialogue. The head of the box office spoke to guests from politics and the media on the topic “Why has prevention not yet been a success story? Causes and solutions”. “There are a variety of preventive measures, but these often remain ineffective,” said Kailuweit. Because those who would benefit most from these offers use them the least.
Politicians in particular see Kailuweit as having a responsibility to create the appropriate framework conditions through a prevention law. “Sensible approaches and innovative ideas from health insurance companies must be brought into the area,” appealed the CEO and called for central contact points that provide an overview of all offers and their content. The individual measures would have to be coordinated, quality standards defined and results evaluated. In addition, prevention offers should be more closely linked to daycare centers and schools in order to raise awareness of this issue at an early stage. “We lack needs assessment, sustainability and coordination,” summarized the KKH boss. Coordination bodies could improve these problems.
After all, there is enough reason to act: Although the health insurance companies are fulfilling their responsibility and are already spending 238 million euros on prevention, heart disease, depression and spinal disc damage, for example, are increasing rapidly. Last year they were among the top 15 hospital diagnoses of KKH insured people and led to high costs. In 2013, the KKH spent a total of 53.7 million on medication consumption by diabetes patients alone. Prevention could reduce these costs.
But why are so many people unreachable for health care and why do projects fail in practice? Kailuweit also addressed these questions and explained that the population generally has a positive understanding of health and even combines performance and fitness. “Unfortunately, concrete actions often look different,” lamented the CEO. Only 36 percent of Germans are really interested in healthy eating, exercise regularly and attach great importance to their health. “So it’s a problem of implementation, not a problem of understanding,” Kailuweit concluded.
A study by the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin showed that middle-aged women in particular live a health-conscious lifestyle. Young adults, on the other hand, are hardly interested in prevention - but they are the ones who should be dealing with the topic. Obesity has increased significantly among children and young people. Today, almost two million adolescents are too heavy, and the number is rising: over the past eight years, the number has increased by half. In addition to unstable family relationships, social background and integration, the reason for this is, above all, lifestyle: “Children and young people spend a large part of their free time in front of the computer or television and there is little time left for sport,” says Prof. Dr. Kerstin Ketelhut, chairwoman of the Early Prevention Association. That has to change. A change in trend is urgently needed. “Exercise should be “in” and a balanced diet “in,” emphasized Kailuweit. Funds and politicians should work more closely together on this vision.