Stationary allergology - an update in the 8th year of the DRG system

Abstract

Stationary allergology - an update in the 8th year of the DRG system Since its implementation in 2003, yearly updates have significantly enhanced the differentiation of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) reimbursement scheme. For inpatients with hymenoptera allergy for desensitization, chronic urticaria or suspected drug allergy however, reimbursement has seen a slight decrease over the last few years. Along with the increasing deficits of health insurance companies, it is becoming evident that there are increasing efforts to cut costs by involving reviewers who ex post deny the necessity of having treated patients as inpatients, claiming that an outpatient status would have been sufficient. Although reimbursement by DRGs is generally based upon flat charges, discounts have to be realized for short hospitalizations and therefore it is often claimed by the reviewers that the patient could have been discharged sooner. Considering the potential severe side-effects of hymenoptera venom desensitization or oral drug challenge and the time course of these measures, in contrast to other dermatological medical conditions, allergological patients are predominantly unaffected by these efforts and therefore grant a reliable contribution to funding dermatological departments.