The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), headed by Health Minister Jens Spahn, has prevailed and can now order corona mass tests in public institutions, even for symptom-free persons, if there has been 15 minutes contact with an infected person before. The exact details of this were also regulated by the BMG, and the subsequent implementation is the responsibility of the public health service. In future, health insurance companies can no longer hope for financing from tax money, because they are now and retroactively until 14 May 2020 obliged to cover the laboratory costs including transport, shipping material etc. of 50.50 euros. The money for this comes from the liquidity reserve of the health fund. It is also a non-insurance benefit, which means that privately insured and uninsured persons can also be tested at the expense of the statutory health insurance (GKV) when it is due. To this end, the federal government provides the federal subsidy from tax funds to help pay for laboratory diagnostics, including other costs. Persons with corona symptoms should call 116117, then the public health department will decide on a test procedure. The BMG intends to use serial tests to interrupt the chain of infection. Employees, those to be cared for and all persons entering and leaving a nursing home and the nursing service will in future be tested in any case, even if no Covid-19 case has occurred. The same regulation applies to persons admitted to the hospital as in-patients. In the future, they will be tested on a pre-stationary basis, i.e. one day before admission to the clinic. Also, in case of doubt, a second test after the incubation period will be necessary. According to the BMG, in the future, there will be serial tests in schools and kindergartens whenever an infected person has been identified in the respective institution who has had contact with employees and children/relatives. The same applies, by the way, to series tests in rehab facilities, dialysis centres, asylum seekers‘ homes and prisons, if series tests have to be carried out because of a proven Covid-19 case.
