Medical aid provision: IKK classic to renegotiate

According to the Westphalia-Lippe Pharmacists' Association (AVWL), pharmacists in the Herford district recently raised a public alarm because they believe the supply of medical aids to patients is at risk. Since July, hundreds of pharmacies in Westphalia-Lippe have been unable to provide IKK classic policyholders with medical aids – such as inhalers, needles for insulin pens, and much more – at their health insurance company's expense .

The reason: "The health insurance company terminated the contract that regulates the remuneration of pharmacies for dispensing many medical aids to patients as of June 30th," explains pharmacist Jens Kosmiky , AVWL board member, in a press release.

" IKK classic has presented a new contract, but it's completely uneconomical – you still have to bring in money," Kosmiky adds. A point that district pharmacist Edward Mosch also denounces in the press release. " IKK classic has reduced reimbursement for many medical aids by more than 30 percent in some cases. What was previously only achievable with favorable purchasing conditions has now become virtually impossible." This results in additional costs that either the pharmacy or the insured person would have to cover. "Ultimately, all of this is at the expense of the patients," Mosch adds.

The Federal Government 's Patient Representative, Stefan Schwartze ( SPD ), wanted to learn about the problems and their causes on-site. "The health insurance companies are short of money, so savings are necessary," he concluded during his visit, according to AVWL. He added that IKK classic needed to renegotiate with the pharmacies .

However, shifting the costs onto the patient cannot be the solution. The AVWL sees precisely this danger. This is not the first time that a health insurance company has attempted to impose dumping prices in the medical aids sector. Three years ago, AOK NordWest offered conditions for incontinence care that made provision simply impossible. If IKK classic's approach is successful, other health insurance companies could follow suit, the AVWL fears.

Jens Kosmiky is certain: "The result would be inadequate care for patients, and they would have to pay even more for it!" It's also questionable whether the additional costs could even be covered by the insured. In the worst case, the necessary treatment would be foregone, which could result in significantly more expensive follow-up treatments. "And then the health insurance company would pay for them again – that's a pipe dream," complains Mosch, the district pharmacist.