Effects of Contribution Co- Payments on Health Care and Health Financing in the German Health Care System

Abstract

As part of the German Health Modernization Act (GMG), additional payments have been made for outpatient and inpatient medical services since 01.01.2004. In this study here, the effect of additional payments on the quality of care and efficiency is examined by considering various literature sources. The study is only limited to the additional forms of practice fees and prescription drug fees. The effects on the health system of contributions and the effects on patient behavior are investigated. The effects of increasing or decreasing additional payments on patient behavior are examined. These changes are examined with the moral hazard problem approach. Since the medical services burden the health system financially, the main goal of relieving the health system has not been achieved. The current co-payment reforms even lead to increased moral hazard behavior, since the insured person who pays the co-payment per quarter tends to benefit more often from medical services in the same quarter.

Keywords

• co-payments,consultation fee,moral hazard

References

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