Red alarm level: Calling midwives cancel in droves - what now?

Red alarm level: Calling midwives cancel in droves - what now?

In the past few weeks, the news about a threatening wave of termination has brought about some excitement in the case of document midwives in Germany. According to a report by ÄrzteBlatt planning approximately half of all nationwide. to terminate next six months. The reasons for this are diverse and are largely related to the new midwifery contract and the associated impending drop in sales.

A look at the numbers makes it clear how serious the situation is: The German Midwives Association (DHV) warns that obstetrical care in many regions of Germany is at risk. The President of the DHV, Ulrike Geppert-Orthofer, speaks of possible loss of merit of up to 30 percent. It is particularly alarming that 99 percent of the teams surveyed confirm that their activity is no longer economically portable. 100 percent expect income losses, and 71 percent expect losses of more than 20 percent.

The effects of the new midwife aid contract

From May 1, 2025, new remuneration rules come into force that will influence the remuneration of around 19,000 freelance midwives in Germany. These regulations were developed in the consensus between the GKV leadership association and other associations, so Staudeverlag . The new regulation should initially result in an increase in remuneration by 10 percent, which in principle should be confident about freelance midwives; However, reality looks different.

The criticism of the new contract cannot be dismissed. While the health insurance companies emphasize a financial upgrading of midwifery work, the DHV criticizes the amount of remuneration and the assessment of individual areas of activity. Above all, one-to-one care, which is essential for many midwives in clinics, is not sufficiently structured. In the future, the billing will take place in units of five minutes, which is a clear change in comparison to the previous flat rates.

endangered station supply in structurally weak regions

Around 20 percent of all births in Germany are accompanied by midwives, in Bavaria it is even up to 80 percent. This support often takes place in structurally weak regions, where clinics are organized in the document system. With the increasing uncertainty among the midwives, obstetrical care is not only in urban areas, but also in rural regions.

of the 107 surveyed midwife teams in Baden-Württemberg plan 50 percent of losing colleagues in the near future. Another 10 percent think about getting out of obstetrics in the coming years. A worrying decline, which not only gives great concerns to the midwives themselves, but also pregnant women and their families.

The GKV top association expects increasing expenses for midwifery help and thus higher income for the freelance midwives, but the uncertainty remains. A jointly occupied working group is intended to evaluate the effects of the new contract and to give recommendations for implementation. However, there are still many questions unanswered until a positive result, and the obstetric care will remain on the brink in many places.