Overview

• Health insurers in Brandenburg are urging local governments to adopt a new cost calculation system for ambulance services to avoid charging residents directly.
• The dispute centers on insurers refusing to cover 'empty trips,' where ambulances are dispatched but hospital transport is not required.
• Currently, in eight districts, insurers only pay fixed amounts due to a lack of agreement on cost-sharing methods.
• Some districts, like Märkisch-Oderland, have proposed passing part of the costs onto residents if no resolution is reached.
• Health Minister Britta Müller has warned local governments against issuing fee notices to residents, emphasizing that the conflict should not affect patients.