Germany will penalise cancer patients who do not undergo regular screening

doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7574.877-c

BMJ 2006;333:877 (28 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7574.877-c

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Germany will penalise cancer patients who do not undergo regular screening

Annette Tuffs

Heidelberg

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The German government is planning to make cancer patients whofailed to undergo regular cancer screening before their diagnosispay more towards their treatment.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's reforms have divided her government

Credit: YVES LOGGHE/AP/PA/EMPICS

The proposal is part of the package of health reforms that hasdivided Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government (BMJ2006;333: 720[Free Full Text]) and that has yet to be passed by the German parliament.

The bill says that cancer patients who did not undergo screeningbefore their cancer was diagnosed have to contribute a maximumof 2% of their gross income towards their treatment rather thanthe maximum of 1% that all other patients with a chronic diseasehave to pay.

Currently all adults in Germany are advised to undergo severalscreening tests. All adults aged over 55 are advised to undergofaecal occult blood testing for colon cancer every two years. . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Proposed policies for inflicting more harm than benefit: Hazel Thornton
bmj.com, 29 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Not just some doctors: Christian Weymayr
bmj.com, 31 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Screening and compulsion: Tom P Marshall
bmj.com, 1 Nov 2006 [Full text]
if authorities insist on early detection of cancer, colon may be better than breast: Michael Retsky
bmj.com, 3 Nov 2006 [Full text]
Compulsory screening participation is judicially questionable: Nikolaus Becker, et al.
bmj.com, 13 Nov 2006 [Full text]