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Karl Lauterbach (on 18 September)

Photo: CHRISTIAN MARQUARRDT / POOL / EPA

On the bridge day, many practice doors remain closed. Immediately before a nationwide doctors' strike this Monday, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has questioned demands for more money.

"On the bridging day, many practices close, like the pharmacists, they also want more money. On average (median), however, they earn around 230,000 euros per year after deducting all costs," wrote the Social Democrat on the Internet platform X (formerly Twitter). And he asked – obviously meant rhetorically: "Should the contribution rate for employees increase so that the fee continues to rise?"

Thousands of general practitioners and specialists do not want to open their practices this Monday in protest against health policy. The co-organizing association of medical practitioners, the Virchowbund, accuses Lauterbach of being interested in hospitals, but ignoring the needs of doctors in private practice.

Supporters are many professional associations, from ENT physicians to surgeons in private practice, orthopedists, ophthalmologists and internists. "We're bled dry. For 30 years, politicians and health insurance companies have been forcing medical practices to take painful austerity measures. We can't do it anymore," it said in the appeal on the Virchowbund homepage.

The association also mentions other sums than Lauterbach and speaks of a practice surplus of 172,903 euros per year and a net income – after deduction of old-age provision, health and long-term care insurance and income tax – of 85,555 euros.

Emergency care should be made possible

The Virchowbund expects that a five-digit number of medical practices will be closed throughout Germany. He had called for the action, and almost 20 other medical associations and the associations of statutory health insurance physicians had joined.

According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, there should be a nationwide emergency and on-call service. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the KV Nordrhein pointed out that other practices wanted to take over the care on site on a temporary basis. Lauterbach wants to "rebuild the health care system in the direction of state medicine," it is criticized. In addition, many practices are in need due to inflation, high energy prices or a shortage of skilled workers.

jok/dpa