German conservative leader Frei demands fair access to specialist appointments
Long waits for specialist doctors are in part "actually unfair", says Thorsten Frei, head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Health Minister Linnemann is to present proposals.
Archive image · Photo: Dr. Frank Gaeth / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Thorsten Frei, who leads the conservative CDU/CSU group in Germany's parliament, called for fairer access to appointments with medical specialists. "All insured people must get a specialist appointment within a reasonable time," Frei told the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.
Frei acknowledged that Germany's parallel system of private and statutory health insurance has advantages. But some aspects are perceived as unfair or are in fact unfair, he said, citing long waiting times for specialists.
Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) is expected to present proposals.