The drastic cuts could threaten the existence of companies in the medium-sized IVD industry.
"It shows complete disregard for the complex laboratory diagnostic test procedures if the remuneration for them is cut with a lawnmower," says VDGH Managing Director Dr. Martin Walger. More than 500 reimbursement items are to be reduced as of January 1, 2025, at the peak by more than 70 percent compared to the current level. "There are neither medical reasons nor a cost calculation as a rational basis for this radical cut," says the VDGH. The VDGH is particularly critical of the reduction in remuneration for early detection services, also from a healthcare perspective.
The across-the-board cuts are intended to finance improvements in doctors' salaries and the costs of transportation and collection materials. "The Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM e.V.) are right to describe this decision as a sham," says Walger, referring to the difficult situation of the diagnostics supply industry. Test manufacturers are facing massive cost increases for raw materials, energy and logistics. In addition, the bureaucratic burden is increasing immensely, particularly due to the new legal framework for product approval.
The VDGH is in favor of repealing the decisions of the evaluation committee and is calling for sustainable financing of the laboratory reform.
