BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The federal states continue to raise objections to the approach of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to the planned hospital reform. The head of the Bavarian department, Judith Gerlach (CSU), criticized on Wednesday a threat to the security of care. "Far too many hospitals will have to significantly reduce their range of services as a result of his reform proposal. That is irresponsible." If Lauterbach does not correct his plan, Bavaria will take legal action against it before the Federal Constitutional Court.

A new expert opinion commissioned by Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg found, among other things, that passing the law without the approval of the Bundesrat would "carry the risk of formal unconstitutionality". Lauterbach has no longer designed the reform in such a way that it requires approval. The four federal states criticize interference in the planning sovereignty of the federal states. Schleswig-Holstein's Minister Kerstin von der Decken (CDU) said that the report should not manifest a blockade policy. She called on the federal government to take the states' proposals for change seriously.

The reform plans aim to change remuneration with flat rates for treatment cases in order to relieve clinics of the financial pressure to treat more and more patients. In future, they are to receive 60 percent of remuneration simply for providing services. Financing by the health insurance funds is to be based on more precisely defined service groups with uniform quality standards./sam/DP/nas