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Berlin The Berlin health insurance companies and associations and the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) Berlin have agreed on the details for including the vaccination against Mpox in the regional vaccination agreements.

From September 1, 2024, the costs for vaccination against Mpox will be covered by statutory health insurance (GKV) according to the benefit-in-kind principle. Eligible insured persons can then be vaccinated free of charge.

The new agreements apply to all statutory health insurance policyholders who meet the requirements of the vaccination guidelines. These are people with an increased risk of exposure and infection and staff in special laboratories who are exposed to infectious laboratory samples.

In view of the increasing number of cases of Mpox-related illnesses worldwide, it was high time for this agreement, said the board of the KV Berlin. The health insurance companies and KV Berlin have been negotiating a solution since the end of 2023.

Until December 13th of last year, a cooperation agreement between the Berlin Senate Administration and the KV Berlin had regulated the financing of a vaccination with the smallpox vaccine Jynneos. Although this drug was not approved in the European Union, it has been used frequently by exceptional regulation since the outbreak of MPox in the summer of 2022.

However, it has not been allowed to be used in Berlin since December 13th. Since then, Imvanex, a vaccine with the same active ingredient that has been approved in the EU, has been available. However, this must be billed through the health insurance companies and there has been no billing agreement for this in Berlin so far. Insured persons have had to pay in advance.

Research by German Medical Journal According to the report, there are currently billing agreements for Imvanex between health insurance funds and KVen in five federal states. In addition to Berlin, this is the case in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein (as of August 29, 2024).

There has been no response from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania so far. In Saxony-Anhalt there is apparently an agreement with the state. In all other federal states there is currently no billing agreement.

The social welfare office in Hamburg recently warned that the remuneration negotiations must be carried out quickly so that the Imvanex vaccination can be provided as part of standard care. © may/hil/aerzteblatt.de