Starke als Fürsprecher von Schwachen ?

The article takes up a major question which has been brought up often enough in studies on interest inter-mediation in the health policy arena. This question is about the issue whether the interests of patients are weak interests or which part these interests play in a highly complex policy arena that is dominated by a lot of resourceful actors. In the author’s opinion, the majority of the major actors in the health policy area have, in one or another way, to take into account the patients’ interests if they want to pursue their own aims credibly or successfully. To test this hypothesis, he analyses the 38 written statements submitted by interest groups to the health committee of the German Bundestag on the occasion of the public hearing on a draft bill ; health insurance supply strengthening law (Versorgungsstärkungsgesetz) in March 2015. First, it is examined how the 15 legal provisions (out of 155 legal provisions altogether) that directly establish new rights and entitlements to benefits for patients are assessed by the interest groups. Second, the arguments are identified as used by the associations to support their positions with respect to the 15 legal provisions in question.