German Citizens Expect Further Health Care Reform
Release Date: 2009-07-06
Most significant findings of study conducted by German research pharmaceutical companies about the general opinion of health care policy in Germany.German research pharmaceutical companies are to conduct a representative survey of the general opinion of health care policy in Germany. Here are the most significant findings, presented today at the polling institute by Klaus-Peter Schöppner.
63% of respondents consider reforms in the public health sector to be important in order to make Germany viable for the future. This is exactly the same percentage recorded in response to the question of the importance of reforms in the “banking and finance” sector. Over half of the respondents (52%) expect, however, that the financial and economic crisis would push aside all other concerns.
Two-thirds of those polled are familiar with “health funds.” Of these two-thirds, just under three-fourths (70%) indicated their understanding of how the funds operate.
A significant majority regard the funds as bad (61%), while only every tenth respondent (11%) believes that the funds have a future.
Despite the economic and financial crisis, a clear majority of respondents consider competition to be a suitable instrument for increasing efficiency in the public health sector.
In response to the results of the survey, the Chief Executive Officer of the vfa, Cornelia Yzer, stated on behalf of the researching pharmaceutical companies, “I consider it to be both remarkable and significant that the notion of “competition” continues to be of value for a clear majority of respondents and has not become taboo even at the peak of a fundamental economic and financial crisis. For the majority of people, competition in the public health sector remains a proper method of optimizing and organizing the system. I believe that people in Germany understand very well that our healthcare system cannot be “saved” with one big reform. There will never be a “radical reform” of the public health sector, no matter how tantalizing it may be for some politicians to promise! More importantly, our healthcare system should be properly positioned to develop naturally. What we need is a stringent and – in comparison with today’s – a significantly reduced legal framework, as well as more competitive leeway.”
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