Increase for medical reasons
The pharmaceutical expenses of statutory health insurance (SHI) will likely increase by EUR 2.2 billion or 7.9 percent in 2008. As a result, overall expenses will be about EUR 28.9 billion excluding vaccines and EUR 30.5 billion including vaccines next year. These are the key results of a forecast based on the methodology of the so-called "Pharmaceutical Atlas" (Arzneimittel-Atlas), which differentiates between different therapeutic indications.
Prof. Dr. Bertram Häussler, author of the Pharmaceutical Atlas: "On the one hand, the forecast expense increases are primarily due to the politically desired, increasingly preventative orientation of pharmaceutical therapy, especially based on vaccines and pharmaceuticals for the treatment of the widespread risk factors of hypertension and lipometabolic disorders. Furthermore, the introduction of more effective and more tolerable drugs has considerably improved the therapeutic opportunities for severe diseases especially in the outpatient sector. Next year, the expenditures of the health insurance funds will rise by about EUR 490 million based on the increased use of vaccines. Due to the additional consumption of pharmaceuticals to prevent complications from chronic diseases, expenses will increase by about EUR 310 million for hypertension, approx. EUR 130 million for lipometabolic disorders, about EUR 60 million for diabetes and about EUR 50 million for osteoporosis. Expenditures will be up about EUR 320 million for the outpatient treatment of cancer and approx. EUR 200 million for immunological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis."
Dr. Dr. Andreas Barner, chairman of the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA), emphasized the connection between additional expenses and therapeutic progress: "The fact is that we have to adjust to increasing pharmaceutical expenses in the future, because medical progress will keep resulting in better drugs for an increasingly aging society: Examples include new medication for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or the emerging revolution in thrombosis prevention. Nevertheless, it remains the objective of the research-based pharmaceutical companies to provide patients not just with new but better pharmaceuticals that can also be measured in terms of cost effectiveness. The continuous improvement of medical care and the avoidance of rationing measures remain our goal in health policy. There's no getting around a competitive health care system that allows individuals to help design their insurance coverage and therefore their health care costs. Also for the VFA, it is an absolute prerequi
site that such a system must be based on solidarity and that nobody remain without adequate health care. Therefore, the VFA seeks the abandonment of rigid regimentation and a turn toward more competition between all participants in the health care system."
Additional information on the 2008 forecast (in German) is available for downloading at: http://www.vfa.de/pk20070905
Prof. Dr. Bertram Häussler, author of the Pharmaceutical Atlas: "On the one hand, the forecast expense increases are primarily due to the politically desired, increasingly preventative orientation of pharmaceutical therapy, especially based on vaccines and pharmaceuticals for the treatment of the widespread risk factors of hypertension and lipometabolic disorders. Furthermore, the introduction of more effective and more tolerable drugs has considerably improved the therapeutic opportunities for severe diseases especially in the outpatient sector. Next year, the expenditures of the health insurance funds will rise by about EUR 490 million based on the increased use of vaccines. Due to the additional consumption of pharmaceuticals to prevent complications from chronic diseases, expenses will increase by about EUR 310 million for hypertension, approx. EUR 130 million for lipometabolic disorders, about EUR 60 million for diabetes and about EUR 50 million for osteoporosis. Expenditures will be up about EUR 320 million for the outpatient treatment of cancer and approx. EUR 200 million for immunological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis."
Dr. Dr. Andreas Barner, chairman of the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA), emphasized the connection between additional expenses and therapeutic progress: "The fact is that we have to adjust to increasing pharmaceutical expenses in the future, because medical progress will keep resulting in better drugs for an increasingly aging society: Examples include new medication for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or the emerging revolution in thrombosis prevention. Nevertheless, it remains the objective of the research-based pharmaceutical companies to provide patients not just with new but better pharmaceuticals that can also be measured in terms of cost effectiveness. The continuous improvement of medical care and the avoidance of rationing measures remain our goal in health policy. There's no getting around a competitive health care system that allows individuals to help design their insurance coverage and therefore their health care costs. Also for the VFA, it is an absolute prerequi
site that such a system must be based on solidarity and that nobody remain without adequate health care. Therefore, the VFA seeks the abandonment of rigid regimentation and a turn toward more competition between all participants in the health care system."
Additional information on the 2008 forecast (in German) is available for downloading at: http://www.vfa.de/pk20070905
As of: 09-05-2007
Printer-friendly copy 
News
Expense forecast:Increase for medical reasons
G8 summit:
Setting the correct course for combating AIDS in Africa
Cost-Benefit Assessment in Germany:
Orientation by international standards
Publications
Statistics 2009 (English) The pharmaceutical industry in Germany; Facts & Figures
Download PDF Add to basket
All brochures...