The authorities responsible for hospital planning at federal state level regularly check which operator may offer hospital services to persons with statutory health insurance at which location. Given that hospital planning is demand-oriented, in most cases it not only concerns the spectrum of authorised services, that is the structure of the specialist department, but also the number of beds in the hospital and its units. The quality of in-patient care as a new decisive parameter and the question of whether the hospital is designated as a centre (oncology centre, breast centre etc.), should not be underestimated.
For that reason, hospital planning requires the hospital operators involved to position themselves towards planning authorities within the selection procedure in a way which is as needs-orientated, efficient and high quality as possible. Hospital planning also goes hand in hand with hospital operators competing among one another; this is because it is important to stand out from the competing range of services offered by third parties and to counter unjustified preferences for third parties.
We analyse the current legal framework conditions and support hospital operators in the course of the planning process by presenting opinions to the parties involved; this applies in particular to health insurance funds and planning authorities. We weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of legal protection options and, if necessary, enforce the interests of hospital operators through the courts by way of a lawsuit or competition lawsuit.