Die Einführung der Praxisgebühr und ihre Wirkung auf die Zahl der Arztkontakte und die Kontaktfrequenz : eine empirische Analyse

As part of the Statutory Health Insurance Modernization Act a co-payment of €10 per quarter for the first contact at a physician's or a dentist's office has been introduced with effect of 1st January 2004. Apart from contributing to the financial consolidation of the Statutory Health Insurance the co-payment aimed at changing the patients' behaviour towards more selfresponsibility. This article shows that physician contacts declined in the year 2004 compared to 2003. However the share of those patients who at least had one physician contact in both years remained stable. Two Logit-models point out that necessary physician contacts still take place e.g. in case of disabled persons and persons with poor health. In addition no discrimination of persons of low social status could be observed. The results are also approved by other studies. Therefore it seems plausible, that the introduction of this co-payment has contributed to a reduction of unnecessary and redundant physicians visits.