Ambulance transports in danger: Taxi drivers warn of supply bottlenecks!

Ambulance transports in danger: Taxi drivers warn of supply bottlenecks!

The taxi industry in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been confronted with growing challenges for years. Nearly 500 taxi companies have closed since 2000, a decline of 60 percent of the industry. These alarming developments were recently discussed at a general meeting of the regional association. Association boss Guido Sembach expressed his concerns about presenting a concrete offer to members, while the health insurance companies AOK, Barmer and IKK simply ignore the decline. Taxi reported today.

The negotiations with the health insurance companies about the financing of patient transport are clearly on the brink. Sembach explained that the talks had failed and the compensation list would be terminated at the end of the year. Taxi drivers are wondering how they can cope with this, because as recent years have shown, the current remuneration for patient transport is unsustainable. The companies are determined to defend themselves against the tariff rates offered by the health insurance companies, which in many cases are up to 30 percent below the level of other federal states. Would you like an example? A seated patient journey of 5 km is billed at 15 euros in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while in Thuringia you receive over 20 euros for it. Nordkurier added.

There is a threat of supply bottlenecks

Another major concern of the association is the safety of medical trips, for example dialysis or chemotherapy trips. According to association board member Maik Göricke, medical care could be at risk from January 2026. In the past, taxi companies have held back to avoid conflict at the expense of patients. They are therefore hoping for support from medical institutions to draw attention to the precarious situation and defuse it. The health insurance companies, on the other hand, remain stubborn and argue that the legal requirements for the care of the insured have been met, even though the taxi companies are in an increasingly difficult situation. Taxi Today carries out.

The inability of the health insurance funds to respond appropriately to the association's proposed solutions has caused disappointment among members. A proposal that was perceived as a dumping offer led to the negotiations being declared a failure. Negotiations about possible tariff adjustments also fell on deaf ears, as the health insurance companies only agreed to small tariff increases of 5.53 percent, which does not even come close to offsetting the rising costs. Nordkurier highlights.

An appeal to politics

With the impending loss of funding, taxi companies in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania not only have their livelihoods in mind, but also the impact on patients. They are calling for tariffs to be brought into line with the level of other federal states as well as double-digit growth rates so that operations can continue to be economically viable. The taxi industry is facing a dilemma that directly affects not only the industry itself, but also numerous patients. The responses from health insurance companies have so far been inadequate and continue to cause uncertainty. Taxi Today ends with a powerful comment.