SCHWERIN (dpa-AFX) - The science ministries of eight German federal states have identified significant risks to university hospitals within the proposed Statutory Health Insurance (GKV) Contribution Stabilization Act. The proposed reform path threatens to undermine the economic foundation of central healthcare structures, according to a joint statement issued by state ministers from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein.

'The financial weakening of university medicine impacts healthcare provision across the entire country,' said Bettina Martin (SPD), Science Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. 'Capping reimbursements while personnel, energy, and material costs continue to rise shifts financial risks onto hospitals and, ultimately, onto patients. For the cutting-edge medicine provided by our university clinics, this risk is particularly critical.'

First reading scheduled for Friday in the Bundestag

The Contribution Rate Stabilization Act, which is scheduled for its first reading in the Bundestag on Friday, aims to close funding gaps in the statutory health insurance system. Proposed measures include service cuts and stricter requirements for health insurance providers.

According to the ministries, the objective is not to increase the burden on policyholders, but rather to find 'sustainable solutions' that ensure both the financial stability of the GKV and the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Instead, the states are advocating for adjustments in hospital financing, the further development of nursing budgets, and a consistent reduction in bureaucracy. Furthermore, the eight states are calling for increased tax-funded financing for broader societal tasks./sff/DP/stw