Panel proposes major overhaul of German hospital financing

BERLIN (AP) — An expert panel unveiled a proposal Tuesday for a major overhaul of Germany's system for funding hospitals that it says would promote quality over quantity, ending what some described as a “hamster wheel” system where clinics tried to perform as many procedures as possible.

The government-appointed panel of independent experts suggested putting hospitals into three categories, depending on the level of care they provide, with different requirements and financing systems for each.

The goal is to ensure patients have access to primary care near their homes, while concentrating specialist treatment in hospitals with top expertise, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

“At the moment mediocrity and quantity are honored too often,” he said. “In future, quality and suitability alone should be the criteria for good care.”