Ambulance Routes in Brandenburg to face Regulation for Empty Runs - Regulation of Neglected Emergency Responses proposed by Brandenburg
In the German state of Brandenburg, the issue of regulating empty rescue rides—ambulances travelling without patients—has been a topic of ongoing discussion within emergency medical services policy. The significant costs these rides generate for counties and health insurers have prompted calls for regulatory reforms aimed at optimising ambulance deployment, minimising empty runs, and ensuring cost-efficiency.
Brandenburg's Health Minister, Britta Müller, has advocated for the federal government to cover costs when a patient is treated on the spot during an emergency rescue operation but the ambulance doesn't go to the hospital. However, the precise regulatory status and cost impact remain unclear, as there are no current specific updates from 2025 or official statements from Brandenburg's authorities or health insurer associations.
The state parliament has decided to urge the state government to push the federal government for a final legal regulation for false alarms within the framework of the emergency reform. The parliament also supports better networking between the on-call service, the emergency rooms of the hospitals, and the rescue service in Brandenburg, but this issue has not yet been addressed in the current agreement.
The counties and health insurers in Brandenburg have agreed that ambulance rides will remain free of charge, but the financial risks posed by empty ambulance rides have not yet been addressed. Eight counties in Brandenburg have agreed on a new calculation basis for ambulance rides, but the details of this agreement are not publicly disclosed.
The handling of empty ambulance rides has been left out of the agreement between the counties and health insurers. The financial risks for the counties and independent cities, which are the carriers of the rescue service, are posed by the current dependency on hospital transport for reimbursement. Health insurers in Brandenburg currently refuse to reimburse for so-called false alarms when a patient is treated on the spot and doesn't go to the hospital.
The state government's push for a final legal regulation for false alarms within the framework of the emergency reform is still ongoing. Not every emergency call in Brandenburg results in a hospital emergency room visit, which highlights the need for effective regulation to tackle the issue of empty rescue rides.
Meanwhile, the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg (OVG) will make a decision on a lawsuit by the insurers against the fee regulation in Teltow-Fläming. Both sides are waiting for this decision, which could have implications for the future of emergency medical services regulation in Brandenburg.
As the situation evolves, it is recommended to monitor official communications from Brandenburg’s Ministry of Health or relevant health insurer associations for detailed and up-to-date information on the progress of these regulatory reforms.
- EC countries could potentially learn from Brandenburg's ongoing discussions about regulating empty ambulance rides, as optimising ambulance deployment and ensuring cost-efficiency are essential for vocational training in health-and-wellness services across all nations.
- In Brandenburg, while the focus has been on minimising empty ambulance rides and false alarms, there is an opportunity to expand vocational training programs in science and medical-conditions, helping both emergency medical services and general healthcare providers to stay up-to-date with the latest treatments and practices.
