Saxony supports hospitals with 20 million euros

Saxony wants to bridge the financial lean period for hospitals until the nationwide hospital reform comes into force with a grant of 20 million euros. This was decided by the cabinet in Dresden on Tuesday. Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) referred to the difficult economic situation of the hospitals. They are not only confronted with higher energy prices and wage increases for staff. The declining number of treatment cases is also making itself felt. The pending federal hospital reform will not strengthen hospitals economically until 2025 at the earliest. Additional flat-rate funding should stabilize the situation until then.

"Even though our hospital landscape is well positioned, our hospitals have had two difficult years with massive cost increases. These will not be adequately refinanced either under the current federal funding system or under the hospital reform that is now planned," Köpping clarified. The federal government is responsible for operating costs - which are paid by the health insurance funds. However, the state could help with the investment costs. With the current subsidy, the flat-rate funding will increase to 95 million euros this year. This would promptly improve the liquidity and creditworthiness of the hospitals.

Köpping: "We urgently need a hospital reform, especially to secure and further develop the locations. However, significant changes need to be made to the current hospital reform in order to safeguard medical care." All federal states agree on this. The accessibility of a hospital must also be a quality criterion. Financing via flat rates per case no longer works. "The reform is necessary so that hospitals can be put on a new footing." Before a decision is made in the Bundestag, however, an analysis of the effects is needed.

Hospital financing is shared between the federal and state governments. The health insurance funds are responsible for financing operating costs; the federal government is responsible for legal regulations. The federal states are responsible for investment costs, such as construction, refurbishment and the purchase of technology. According to the ministry, more than 6.5 billion euros have been invested in Saxony's hospital landscape since 1990. In the 1990s there were still 130 hospitals here, today there are 76 facilities. The government wants all of these hospitals to be preserved.