German reform: funds fear power slipping away
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Germany's sickness funds have accused health minister Ulla Schmidt of seeking to move medicines and medical product approvals under more direct state control in the health reform of 2006. That is the view of VdAK (white collar employees' fund) head Doris Pfeiffer, reported by Handelsblatt. Rainer Hess, head of the G-BA, the reimbursement decision-making body, is equally critical, but his complaint is focused more on the potential for rising costs at the sickness funds, if the reform becomes law.