Research and EducationDue to its research findings, DIGR was intensively involved in the 2006/2007 discussions on the German health service reform. The widely circulated paper: “State medicine on trial under the constitution. Current reform legislation of the health care system” was of particular importance. This work was concerned with regulation of the law to improve the cost-effectiveness of medicines supply dated 26 April 2006, the amendment to the law for statutory health insurance physicians and other laws dated 22 December 2006, and the law to promote competition in statutory health insurance dated 26 March 2007. A particular focus of the research is the critical examination of regulations relating to private health insurance.
The results of the work of DIGR also flowed into numerous lectures held by the DIGR director at expert conferences (see Events) for more detailed information).
The director of DIGR took part as official expert in several public hearings in committees of the German Parliament. In recent times he has participated in the Health Committee hearings on the subjects of debt write-off for statutory health insurance companies (PDF document), regulations for private health insurance companies (PDF document), the reform of social long-term care insurance (PDF document) and age limits in the health care profession (article Ärzteblatt).
Furthermore, DIGR regularly supports seminars on health legislation at the Free University of Berlin. These seminars, which are attended by students, research workers and doctoral candidates, include guest lectures by experts from the health care system. Berlin Debates on Health Legislation
 Every year the “Berlin debates on health legislation” attract major interest. This series of events, staged by DIGR together with the Free University of Berlin, attempts to give new impetus to the organisation of the German health care system through the interaction of theory and practice. In accordance with the interdisciplinary approach, the Berlin debates lead to discussions on fundamental questions, particularly from legal, economic, political and medical practice points of view. Many prominent experts take part in the conferences: members of the German Parliament, representatives of the Federal Ministries and the Federal Social Insurance Authority, judges from constitutional, social, administrative and civil courts, representatives of statutory and private health insurance, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, numerous representatives of doctors’ and dentists’ organisations of public and private law, legal academics and lawyers. The event is also attended by many journalists from television and the press. more —> |