Abstracts by keywords: saving potential
With the Act for More Safety in the Supply of Medicines (GSAV), the legislature has, among other things, provided for the automatic substitution of biologics in pharmacies from 2022. In fact, the new regulation on automatic substitution in the GSAV paves the way for the introduction of exclusive discount agreements in the biologicals market. The current contractual practice in the biologics market is determined by health insurance companies' tenders for non-exclusive open-house contracts in accordance with Section 130a Paragraph 8 SGB V. Both manufacturers of the biological reference products and the respective biosimilars, including any imports, can agree to these contracts at the rates specified by the respective health insurance company join the specified conditions. Although interchangeability can also come into play in the context of other types of competition models, it seems obvious that the GKV side in particular is aiming for such exclusive tenders based on the model of the generics market. Against this background, published calculations by the AOK Scientific Institute (WIdO) show that a savings volume of 141 million euros was achieved through the use of biosimilars in the period from July 2017 to June 2018.
28.07.2020
If we exploit the current potential for savings in healthcare, also in view of the experiences of other countries that spend significantly less money on longer life expectancy, we can delay the inevitable point of later rationing for a long time. However, it is important to send clear signals against the wrong incentive systems, which are essentially fed by sales-intensive, financially lucrative areas. Even though this is an unvalidated estimate, we can go another 10 years or so without rationing.
01.02.2010
Our healthcare system has a savings potential of at least 20, probably 25 % of its current volume, which consists of unnecessary procedures, interventions and operations, to a lesser extent unnecessary medicines, cures, administrative costs and much more. Rationing will eventually become unavoidable given demographic trends and advances in medicine that are leading to increasingly expensive procedures. However, this point in time can be significantly delayed by exhausting austerity measures.