Baum on COVID-19: “Hospitals accept the current challenges and implement the requirements.”

Georg Baum, CEO of the German Hospital Federation, describes the current situation in the hospitals during Corona crisis in today’s interview during the digital DRG-Forum 2020:

• Hospitals accept the current challenges and implement the requirements.

• Capacities in ICUs released and approved.

• Treatments which are medically not necessary at the moment are delayed to provide beds.

• These measurements mean financial risks and we [the German Hospital Federation] demand for a securing fund to balance possible financial losses. Wea re of the opinion that this cannot be covered by the G-DRG-system and its bureaucratic effort behind. Treatment cases are done now, the payment of the invoice results six to eight weeks later. The hospitals do now have an urgent financial need.

• We suggest to take the last year’s hospital budget, as of April until end of 2020, adding 5% as a security and to pay this lump-sum budget to the hospitals – without invoicing the DRGs.

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds seems willing to pay for vacant beds, but not for a lump-sum Reimbursement.

Concerning the discussion on the number of hospitals in Germany, Baum is of the opinion that widespread small hospitals and a small overcapacity (10%) are necessary to guarantee a nationwide healthcare.

We keep you up to date on teh current topics and discussions of the DRG-Forum 2020!

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