Hospital financing by self administrated institutions. Proposals for a new form of organization and financing of hospital care in West-Germany.

Acta Hospitalia publishes this summary as an illustration of the difficult process most Western countries experience in reorienting their hospital financing systems. The case of West-Germany is of particular interest. It is the leading economic power in the European Economic Community and its sickness funds (the Krankenkassen) play a very important role in hospital financing. The article reports on the conclusions of a five year study by the R. Bosch Stiftung. We draw attention to the following: The article illustrates that each hospital financing system implies a particul balance of power between the hospitals, on the one hand, and the sickness funds on the other hand, under the auspices of the government. The final balance of power is not so much determined by the general principles but by the detailed operational procedures on which the financing system will eventually be based. This may explain why the conclusions of the Commission are rather vague. The option of the price as the main control instrument immediately demands some 'state committee' to lay down the guidelines for the provision of hospital care including the regional conditions and minimum service quantity and quality standards.