An appointment with the doctor and no one in the waiting room: This is annoying for practices. Some therefore charge a penalty fee. The head of the statutory health insurance doctors believes this is a good solution.
In view of the strained financial situation of many medical practices, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) is in favor of fines if patients fail to appear for doctor’s appointments without an excuse. The health insurance companies should cover such a fine, demanded KBV chairman Andreas Gassen in the “Bild” newspaper (Tuesday edition).
“It is not only annoying when patients book appointments in practices and then simply let them pass,” explained the head of the association. “Practices cannot make appointments twice.” Therefore, “a cancellation fee to be paid by the health insurance companies” is appropriate “if their insured persons make appointments and then do not show up without an excuse.” According to the KBV, seven out of ten practices complain about patients skipping out. However, the head of the health insurance doctors did not say exactly how many appointments were missed.
Head of statutory health insurance doctors: “Demand for more appointments ridiculous”
According to the “Bild” report, there are now some doctors’ offices that charge patients a 40 euro penalty for unexcused absences. In individual cases, the penalty can even be as high as 100 euros for repeated absences.
Gassen showed understanding for this approach. The appointments are blocked and are then not available for other patients. “Against this background, any demand for faster and more appointments is simply ridiculous,” he told “Bild”. “Not to mention the still inadequate remuneration, which no longer triggers a fee for around ten percent of the appointments used.”
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
