Köpping considers debate about practice fee counterproductive

Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) considers discussions about a new practice fee to be counterproductive. She reacted sarcastically to a corresponding demand from the employers' association. "Everyone has the right to make suggestions that don't get us anywhere. Even the employers' lobby."

According to Köpping, the practice fee was abolished for good reason. "Because it has proven to be bureaucratic and completely unsuitable. There should be no barriers to health for people who work every day and often earn very little. And it must also be in the interest of good entrepreneurs that their employees are healthy."

The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) had sparked a lot of criticism with its call for a "contact fee" for every visit to the doctor. BDA Managing Director Steffen Kampeter defended the controversial proposal as a way of making the social systems more efficient and fairer.

From 2004 to the end of 2012, Germany already had a practice fee. Patients had to pay ten euros for their first visit to the doctor every quarter. The procedure proved to be unsuitable. It was also a thorn in the side of many doctors.