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Hanover The budget for outpatient training in some specialist medical groups for the year 2024 was already used up in May by the health insurance companies in Lower Saxony – it is limited to 192 positions.

As of now, the health insurance companies will no longer have any financial means available for additional positions, according to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) of the state. The health insurance companies are funding the training with 2,700 euros per month. The KV is contributing the same amount, regardless of the health insurance funding.

This equal funding has proven successful and ensures that aspiring doctors receive high-quality training, said KV Board Chairman Mark Barjenbruch today in Hanover.

The KV is now faced with the challenge of financing the further training of these specialist groups alone or foregoing further training places – a situation that is not acceptable given the shortage of doctors.

The KV is therefore calling for more money for specialist training in practices. In the future, all specialist groups must also be eligible for funding, says Barjenbruch.

Currently, funding is only available in ophthalmology, pediatrics and adolescent medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, psychiatry and psychotherapy, internal medicine and rheumatology, neurology, dermatology and otorhinolaryngology.

Promoting specialist training is an investment in the future. We are cutting costs in the wrong places here, criticised the KV board chairman.

The continuing education funding for specialists in practice goes back to the GKV-Versorgungsstrengthening Act from 2015. The funding amount per continuing education position is currently 5,400 euros, half of which is to be borne by the KV and half by the health insurance companies.

Without financial support, many practices cannot afford to employ a doctor in training, according to the KV. © hil/aerzteblatt.de