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Public health insurers in Germany are to cut back on their refunds for methadone treatment for heroin addicts. The largest of the insurers, Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK), has said that from 1 April only current heroin addicts will be allowed to remain on a methadone treatment plan. The insurer's director in Hamburg, Karin Schwemin, said the new policy was intended to prevent abuse of its funds.
The city state of Hamburg has long had a reputation as the place where methadone substitution treatment was...