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Work and functions of the Committee on Health and Social Security

The sphere of activity of the Committee on Health and Social Security covers basically the same areas as that of the Federal Ministry for Health and Social Security.

This means that the Committee on Health and Social Security, in accordance with the organisational structure of the Federal Ministry for Health and Social Security, operates mainly in the following areas:

• Drugs, pharmacies, medical devices; this area includes in particular the supply of medicines, the safety of medicines, the German Drug Law and the Pharmacists and Pharmacies Law but also the pharmaceutical professions
• Long-term care insurance; this covers matters relating to the clientele, legislation relating to benefits and services, contributions and also the social security of care staff, medical and care issues relating to long-term care insurance, legislation relating to long-term care contracts and quality assurance aspects
• Health care; this includes in particular medical matters relating to statutory health insurance, basic questions of hospital care and hospital funding, questions of quality assurance and quality management as well as advice and information for insured persons and care providers
• Sickness insurance; this covers especially the law relating to benefits and contributions, doctors who treat members of statutory health insurance schemes and the professional associations and their supervision, economic questions relating to medical and dental care, the supply of medicines, treatments and aids; this area also incorporates the Division Board of Experts for Concerted Action in the Public Health Sector.
• General health care, professions, communicable diseases, AIDS, genetic engineering; these include general medical issues within the health service, patients’ rights, ethical questions, the law on reproductive medicine and the use of genetic engineering and biomedicine in humans, neurological and psychiatric diseases, the prevention of communicable diseases, health education, the promotion of self-help and participation in the sphere of health and disability, natural remedies, protection of the consumer in the health sector, environmental health issues and health care professions at all levels of training.
• Statutory pensions insurance for workers and employees including the areas of accident insurance, private pension schemes, war victims and other laws relating to social compensation, medical care for war victims.
• Prevention, rehabilitation and disability policy
• Public welfare benefits (excluding the combination of unemployment benefit and social assistance)

The Committee on Health and Social Security is made up of 40 Members of the Bundestag, 17 of whom are from the SPD, 16 from the CDU/CSU, 4 from the Alliance 90/Greens and 3 from the FDP parliamentary groups.
The Chair is Klaus Kirschner (SPD); Deputy Chair is Wolfgang Zöller (CDU/CSU). Spokespersons are Erika Lotz for the SPD, Annette Widmann-Mauz and Andreas Storm for the CDU/CSU, Birgitt Bender and Markus Kurth for the Alliance 90/Greens and Dr. Heinrich Kolb and Dr. Dieter Thomae for the FDP.

In the subject areas mentioned above, the committee deliberates a large number of draft laws and motions each year. In this connection, it regularly holds public hearings and meetings of experts, in order to obtain the most comprehensive and independent picture possible of the subject under review. The parliamentary groups propose experts from all social groups concerned who are then invited to attend these meetings. In some cases, experts are invited from other countries, so that the benefit of their expertise and experience can be incorporated in the parliamentary decision-making process.

The Committee on Health and Social Security also receives information from the Federal Government on developments in health policy as well as on social insurance legislation and procedures and other current issues. Although health care and social security are basically subject to national legislation, a constantly increasing number of EU items are also referred to the committee for deliberation. Often, these are European directives that must be implemented in German law.

During the 14th electoral term, the Health Committee passed the Act on the Reform of the Statutory Health Insurance from the Year 2000 which came into force in January 2000. During the 15th electoral term, the deliberation and implementation of a further fundamental reform of the statutory health insurance system are the focus of its activities.

In addition, the committee will deliberate adjustments of statutory pensions insurance schemes and in particular the supplementary private pension schemes and long-term care insurance. In all three areas, the aim is to reform social security systems in the light of demographic change in such a way that they continue to ensure a high level of protection and care and, at the same time, remain financially feasible in the long term.