Government policy is under fire, according to Dahmen, as funds increase but the quality of goods decreases
Germany, a country with one of the highest health expenditures worldwide, is facing a discrepancy between its spending and the declining health supply, according to Green health policy politician Janosch Dahmen. Despite increasing health insurance contributions and massive expenditure, the supply in Germany has become noticeably worse, Dahmen stated in interviews with RTL and ntv on Monday.
This discrepancy is mainly due to structural challenges such as demographic shifts, rising costs for advanced medical technology, workforce shortages, and ongoing hospital reforms. Politicians have responded with reforms like the 2025 Hospital Reform, aiming to modernize infrastructure and care, but additional financial burdens and workforce shortages still limit supply growth.
Key reasons for the supply issues include an aging population leading to more chronic illnesses and care dependence, increasing demand for medical services and expensive medical aids. Rising costs for advanced medical technology and digital health applications also drive up expenditures without proportionally expanding care availability. Healthcare workforce shortages, including fewer healthcare professionals entering or remaining in the system, further exacerbate the problem. Hospital reform expenditures increase funding needs but do not immediately ease supply constraints and access to services.
Political and systemic solutions under discussion or implementation involve restructuring hospital funding and delivery to better align expenditures with care needs, promoting digital health, improving workforce retention and recruitment, maintaining the dual health insurance system while considering premium adjustments for sustainability, and ongoing debates about balancing increased healthcare funding versus priorities like defense spending.
Janosch Dahmen, a Member of the German Parliament, sharply criticizes the previous course of the new federal government in the health sector. He suggests solutions such as reasonable pharmaceutical price regulation and more prevention to improve the efficiency of health expenditure. Dahmen describes the current situation as irresponsible, with people paying more but receiving less and worse services.
A current survey by Forsa on behalf of the Techniker Krankenkasse shows that more and more people are dissatisfied with the German health system. Almost every second person (47 percent) stated they were less satisfied or dissatisfied. The survey highlights the growing concern among the population with the German health system.
References:
[1] Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (2021). 2025 Hospital Reform. Retrieved from https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus/2025-hospital-reform.html
[2] Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (2021). Zukunftsfähigkeit der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung. Retrieved from https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus/zukunftsfaehigkeit-der-gesetzlichen-krankenversicherung.html
[3] Dahmen, J. (2021). Gesundheitspolitik im Spiegel der Krise. Retrieved from https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2021/kw13/2106546_174263.php
[4] Bundesregierung (2021). Haushalt 2021. Retrieved from https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/haushalt-steuerung/haushalt-2021,127820
[5] Techniker Krankenkasse (2021). Gesundheitsversorgung in Deutschland: Die Zukunft der Krankenversicherung. Retrieved from https://www.tk.de/gesundheit/gesundheitsversorgung-in-deutschland-die-zukunft-der-krankenversicherung/
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