German pharma rebates fund health insurer surplus, but drug spending rises again
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
German health insurers enjoyed a €4 billion surplus in 2011, fuelled partly by a 4% drop in drug spending, which was in turn driven by increased mandatory rebates and a price freeze introduced in 2010. Although drug spending in Germany appears to be rising again, pharmaceutical companies will be calling for the government to reduce rebates to previous levels, says the European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE).