[Bottlenecks in the provision of inpatient care--caused by the Hospital Funding Act].

The responsibility of the state for ensuring the provision of hospital care services to its citizens derives from the welfare state principle laid down in Sect. 20 para. 1 GG (Grundgesetz, i.e., the German constitutional law). The state fulfils this responsibility by means of planning and funding regulations in the Hospital Funding Act (KHG), the Hospital Remuneration Act (KHEntG), the National Ordinance on Hospital Rates (BPflV), the Hospital Laws of the German federal states and other supplementary legislation. The funding of hospitals is based on a dual funding system, meaning that hospital investment costs generally need to be borne by the German federal states as required, while operating costs will have to be funded through the remuneration for hospital treatments. Because of the tight budget situation of the German federal states a considerable backlog of investment has built up. After a transition period (between 2005 and 2009) operating costs are now funded on the basis of the so-called DRG system (DRG=Diagnosis Related Groups)--irrespective of the actual costs incurred by each individual hospital, which has led to a commodification of hospital care services. Whether this commodification avoids bottlenecks in the provision of health services to hospital patients or creates additional bottlenecks, is a controversial issue.