Anyone who has a rapid corona test carried out in a test center from July has to pay three euros. The federal government wants to save.
There should also continue to be an offer with free corona quick tests for risk groups over the summer – but for everyone else “citizen tests” should cost three euros in the future.
This was announced by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Friday in Berlin after the government had reached an agreement on a new test regulation that should apply from June 30th.
He would have liked to continue free citizen tests for everyone, said the SPD politician. In view of the costs of an average of one billion euros per month, the federal government can no longer afford this in the tight budget situation. The new concept now envisages spending of 2.7 billion euros by the end of the year – with full takeover, up to five billion euros would have been expected.
Free rapid tests should continue to be possible for vulnerable groups in the future, including children up to five years of age, women at the beginning of pregnancy and visitors to clinics and nursing homes. The federal states would have the option of taking over the own contribution of three euros for other groups as well.
Survey: Majority would still like free corona tests
A majority of the population is in favor of continuing to offer the Corona citizen tests free of charge to everyone. According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, 50 percent of Germans reject the idea that from July 1st only patients with symptoms of illness and selected groups of people, for example in the health sector, will be entitled to free tests. 38 percent support this, the rest made no statement, as announced by YouGov. On June 23, the institute surveyed 2,886 people in Germany aged 18 and over.
Source: Stern
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