Patients who do not appear to a doctor’s appointment, should not have to pay a cancellation fee, find a lot of Doctors. A no-show for many practices a disturbance of the processes and even fees default. But how right these charges are?
600 million appointments annually Physicians in Germany. Up to 30 percent of these agreed dates, the patients have not appeared according to the NAV-Virchow-Bund, the Federal of Physicians in Germany, and not, or said it too late. The anger of the Physicians is understandable. Not only the tails of the patient to interrupt the practice of the expiry, these failures are associated with loss of earnings, reported the “Rheinische Post”.
Number of Truant officer goes back to the introduction of default charges
Many Doctors are going to not sit up and require up to a 40 Euro fee in case of Non-appearance of a patient. Many patients don’t be aware of what is the meaning of you showing up at work Missing, said a doctor in Düsseldorf. The fee of 40 your according to its fee for a 15-minute consultation.
Also, the “women’s medical group practice in the Clement district” by attacks: patients who do not cancel your appointment 24 hours in advance, must pay 35 euros. The cancellation could be done online around the clock. And actually – the number of the Truant officer went back to the introduction of the fee: in the past, it should have one to two appointment failures per day, today there are one to two per week, said a woman doctor Hans-Wilhelm Coenen. And if a patient does not want to pay the fee? An immense loss of trust in the doctor-patient relationship, Coenen. Such patients he would treat only in case of emergency.
Default fees remain controversial
However, these fees are legal? This is a controversial change, the court is right-the patients, the Doctors. Each case is evaluated individually, because there is a legal basis does not exist in the Federal framework agreement or contract medical area said the kassenärztliche Vereinigung Nordrhein.
“Very often the Patient is summoned because of a Transfer or others in the practice, although it would not be necessary. For this, he will not be compensated, Yes,“ criticized the SPD-health policy-makers Karl Lauterach fees. “This type of extra income for Doctors, I reject.”
Physicians criticize planned date of service and supply act
Background for the requested fees and the planned date of service and supply act (TSVG), which is expected to occur on 1 may. May will enter into force. According to the law Doctors have to offer per week, a minimum of 25 office hours. Thus, the waiting times for Insured patients is shortened. Many Doctors see it as a intervention into their freedom to conduct a business.
