The German think tank communia and german initiative Poliklink Syndikat have published a concept paper on the socializaton of the health care sector in Germany. Below you can read more about the paper (translated from the original German website). You can read the concept paper in German here.
“A new concept paper by communia and the Poliklinik Syndikat now proposes a concrete building block for a rapidly implementable and socially oriented transformation of outpatient care. The core element is the establishment of primary care centers (PVZ) under the umbrella of public-law institutions (AöR)—the AöRs “Gemeingut Gesundheit.” The idea of socialization—understood as an alternative to private ownership of healthcare facilities and as a means of democratization—serves as a guiding principle here: Socialization views health as a collective responsibility and reframes the question of how care must be organized so that it benefits everyone. This involves not only structural reforms but also a fundamental reorientation—a reclaiming of social infrastructure.
This concept outlines a concrete vision of how primary health care can be conceived and organized from a progressive perspective. It draws on practical experiences from solidarity-based health centers as well as perspectives from various health professions. The vision developed here deliberately navigates the tension between realpolitik and utopia. After all, change arises in the space between aspiration and reality. From a public health perspective, it is clear: people live healthier lives when they are embedded in social contexts characterized by trust, participation, and mutual care. Solidarity-based primary care can help create such spaces—places where medical, social, and preventive services come together and where community can be experienced. In this sense, new, collectively organized care structures are more than just models of care: they are building blocks of a democratic society and can counteract the rise of exclusion and isolation.
With the concept of “Health as a Common Good,” we aim to help expand the boundaries of what is conceivable. We invite you to examine, further develop, critique, and implement the ideas presented here together with us. The future of health care is open. It is up to us to shape it as a common good.”