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Berlin With a petition and more than 90,000 signatures, the Federal Association of General Practitioners in Diabetes (BVND) wants to convince politicians to tighten up the Health Care Strengthening Act (GVSG). The association criticizes the fact that the effects of the law on the care of chronically ill people are not sufficiently taken into account in the current draft.

In particular, the planned change from quarterly flat rates to annual flat rates for the care of chronically ill people and the payment criteria for the flat rate provision provided for in the draft law have met with criticism from diabetes associations.

The current draft of the GVSG threatens the existence of many diabetes specialist practices and thus directly the future care of people suffering from chronic and severe diabetes, said BVND deputy chairwoman Iris Dtsch when handing over the petition to the Federal Ministry of Health.

The German Diabetes Society (DDG) believes that the future of diabetes specialist practices is threatened by the draft. More than nine million people in Germany now live with diabetes and around 500,000 people are newly diagnosed with the disease every year.

DDG board member Tobias Wiesner described it as unacceptable that politicians are jeopardising the medical care of these people because the required guideline-compliant treatment intensity and quality can no longer be reimbursed.

DiabetesDE Deutsche Diabetes-Hilfe is also concerned about the future care of diabetes patients. People with diabetes are demanding more respect for their daily diabetes management and close care in diabetes practices, says Nicole Mattig-Fabian, Managing Director of DiabetesDE. © hil/sb/aerzteblatt.de