BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Despite ongoing differences with the federal states, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is counting on swift next steps for the planned hospital reform. The SPD politician said after federal-state consultations in Berlin on Wednesday that he could go along with some of the points demanded, such as a greater reduction in bureaucracy. On the other hand, general quality requirements for the federal government were not negotiable. The necessity of the reform was not questioned at the meeting. Everyone knew that it was a "historic opportunity" to rebuild the hospital system as it was needed. Lauterbach emphasized: "There is no other reform." We are doomed to success.

The minister explained that the federal states and associations have until April 30 to comment on a draft bill that has now been presented. The cabinet is due to discuss it on May 8, and the first reading in the Bundestag is planned for before the summer. Lauterbach said that he did not believe that the reform would still fail.

The legislative plans aim to change remuneration with flat rates for treatment cases in order to relieve clinics of financial pressure to treat more and more cases. In future, they are to receive 60 percent of the 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. Lauterbach has designed the reform in such a way that it should no longer require approval in the Bundesrat./sam/DP/nas