(Health interests; 07-03; p.2)

After monthslong preparations also of scientific groups the respective party leaders of negotiations Ulla Schmidt, minister of health (Social Democrats), and Horst Seehofer (expert of Germany's main opposition party, the Christian Democrats/Christian Socialists) published their "Eckpunktepapier" , dated 22 July.
This paper provides binding agreements of all party fractions represented in parliament, the Bundestag, on changes in the national health system, especially its future organisation, its spectrum of services and its financing. (In a few words, Germany's current health system can be characterised as being legally binding for all employees working at least half-time, the bulk of them members of autonomous, but public health insurances.)

The sociologist M. Opielka has written an informed analysis of the "Eckpunktepapier" that hints on the basic forms of governance in this field by market or socio-cultural processes (cf.: Opielka, M: Einstieg in die Zukunft oder Verlängerung der Vergangenheit? in: Frankfurter Rundschau no. 170 of 24/07/03, p.7).

 

Rürup and the politicians' reactions

As has been said, there is a government installed commission of scientists, working on concepts for necessary changes in Germany's system of social insurance.
This commission, named after its chairman, the economist B Rürup, is subdivided into several work groups. The group concerned with health insurance provided recommendations already on 9 April to which the results of the "Eckpunktepapier" are remarkably similar.

The group's given task was to develop concepts guaranteeing long-term ability to finance the health system and to lower premiums in public health insurances, especially.
Along these lines, the so-called Y-model was introduced: after necessary short-term changes, for the second level a decision has to be made on either an "insurance for all, generating income by work" or a "system of income-independent health premiums in connection with a tax-financed social counterbalance" to create a long-term solid basis.
The alternatives have been dubbed meanwhile rather unprecise as either "citizen's insurance" or "poll premiums". However, they are not mentioned in the "Eckpunktepapier"; all agreements are on short-term measures comprising a time-frame until the end of 2006. (All English quotes in this paragraph are translated; German originals are to be found in the work group's paper.) (read on here)