National Reporting Instrument 2015

The regulation on employment (Beschäftigungsverordnung) opened in July 2013 the employment market for certain occupations - it included a so-called white list of occupations in demand - and one of these is health care givers. In order to comply with the Code of Practice, Germany - in the first instance - excluded any employment of health workers from the 57 countries identified by WHO as facing a critical shortage of health workers. This was in order to avoid any recruitment activities by (private) employment agencies in these countries. In order, however, not to in any way limit the individual freedom to migrate, Germany amended the regulation. With the first amendment to the regulation, which entered into effect in November 2013 health workers from the so-called crisis countries are allowed to work in Germany IF they have applied on individual initiative and have found their potential employer by themselves. However, active recruitment (i.e. through private employment agencies) of health personnel from these countries is prohibited and constitutes an offence.

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Serbia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Philippines

Tunisia (expected)

- Guide to "Working in Germany": http://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/for-qualified-professionals/working/guide - Recognition in Germany: http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/index.php

German Medical Association

Federal Statistical Office

Federal Employment Agency

Federal Employment Agency

An updated list of the countries facing workforce crisis would be useful for the further implementation.

Germany is currently addressing the priority area of "Health, Family Planning, HIV/AIDS" in its bilateral cooperation with 18 partner countries and regions. It is involved in the health sector in the context of its international cooperation with some 45 countries. Supporting of strategies to counter the shortage of qualified staff is an integral part in many development cooperation programmes. At international level the German government cooperates with the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA). Over the past 10 years annual German support for the health sector has more than tripled, and topped 785 million euros in 2013.

Re question 2: Since 1 August 2012, foreign nationals with a recognised university degree have had easier access to the labour market under the EU Blue Card system. To obtain the Blue Card, they must simply furnish proof of their qualifications and a concrete job offer that would provide annual gross earnings of at least 48,400 euros (2015). The approval of the Federal Employment Agency is not required. In the case of highly qualified foreign nationals with a background in mathematics, IT, the natural sciences or technology as well as medical doctors, the EU Blue Card conditions still apply, provided they are offered the same salaries as comparable German employees and their annual gross earnings would be at least 37,752 euros (2015). In these cases the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is required. Simplified rules on access to the labour market also apply to academics, highly qualified professionals, executives, senior employees, specialists and similar groups. In the case of foreign nationals with vocational qualifications, such as care specialists, there are now improved options for gaining recognition for qualifications obtained abroad based on the Federal Recognition Act ( April 2012). In addition to this, for professions experiencing shortages, access to the German labour market has been made possible without a prior labour market test, as long as the worker’s qualification is recognised as equivalent to a German qualification under the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act. Further information on gaining recognition for vocational qualifications obtained abroad is available at www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. General information on recruitment regulations for foreign nationals is available on the websites of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS). More information on recruitment regulations in Germany is also available on the Federal Employment Agency website, More information is available on the Federal Employment Agencys website:www.arbeitsagentur.de “Working in Germany” Regarding question 12: In July 2015, the Bill to strengthen care provision in the statutory health insurance system (Care Provision Strengthening Act) came into force. The purpose of the Bill is to continue to guarantee a high level of easily accessible care for patients in the future. Essentially, the Act to strengthen care provision in the statutory health insurance system regulates the following: • ensuring nationwide and easily accessible health care. This includes, above all, measures to further develop the provisions governing the licensing and establishment of physicians and psychotherapists; • the demand-oriented access to care by patients. This also includes, for example, the setting up of appointment service centres at the panel doctors associations to reduce the amount of time that patients have to wait for an appointment with a specialist; • the promotion of innovative forms of care, especially through the establishment of an innovation fund at the Federal Joint Committee endowed with €300 million per annum from 2016 to 2019; • expanding the benefits and services which insured persons are entitled to claim, for example by introducing the right to an independent second medical opinion for specific, plannable operations that are susceptible to over-provision; • in the future, health insurance and long-term care funds are to waive compensation claims against independent midwives. In the long term, this could help to stabilise the midwives insurance premiums and stimulate the insurance market, while helping to ensure the nationwide provision of midwife services in the long term.