Urgencies and DRGs

Introduction Flat rates based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are being introduced in a growing number of countries to remunerate acute inpatient treatment. In doing so, it will have to be decided – among other things – whether inpatient emergency services should be remunerated separately from the DRG flat rates or as part of them. Without separate remuneration, there may be a perception, or fear, that wrong economic incentives with regard to emergency services could develop. To be able to decide about a separate remuneration of emergency readiness and/or emergency treatment, one must know how to categorize services, what the costs of emergencies are, and how the remuneration can be deduced from them.