"Consultation in the Homecare Sector Must Also Be Compensated"
Interview with Lukas Kramer, Managing Director and Owner of Geria+med GmbH & Co. KG
In healthcare, often small details determine the quality of life. Geria+med GmbH & Co. KG, based in Berlin, specializes in the supply of incontinence products and has been a reliable partner in the German healthcare system for 25 years. The company combines consultation, logistics, and provisioning under one roof and continues to evolve in a highly regulated market.
Since 2019, Lukas Kramer has been steering the fortunes of Geria+med GmbH & Co. KG, and since 2024 as the sole owner. His claim: "We do not just want to supply patients with products, but to advise and provide for them optimally and individually." This attitude runs like a red thread through the company's history. Geria+med was founded in 2000 by Dietrich Zeidler. From a small Berlin-based medical supply store focusing on incontinence products, it developed over the years into a fast-growing specialty provider. In 2006, the company received the crucial prequalification that enabled direct billing with health insurance companies. From 2009, Geria+med won important tenders, including those from BKK and later also from Barmer. The biggest milestone followed in 2016 with the award from AOK Nordost—a contract that significantly grew the company, necessitating a move to larger premises in East Berlin. In 2018, Lukas Kramer met the founder, and a year later he joined the management team. After a transition phase, he took over sole responsibility in 2020 and
led the company through the challenging COVID period. "We don't sell luxury goods, but rather necessities that our customers absolutely need. A delivery stop was simply not an option," emphasizes Lukas Kramer. With significant organizational effort, it was possible to maintain supply at a time when supply chains were disrupted and there was a lot of uncertainty.
Between Supply and Compensation
Today, Geria+med employs about 40 staff in consulting, field service, and logistics. In 2022, all logistics were brought in-house to ensure reliability – a move that, according to Lukas Kramer, is crucial for quality: "In the end, the right product has to be with the customer at the right time. Only if we handle both – consultation and delivery – ourselves, can we keep our promise." The greatest challenge he sees is in the financing by health insurance companies. "We work with flat rates that often do not remotely reflect the increased costs," criticizes the managing director. While costs for personnel, energy, and purchasing goods have massively increased, reimbursements have partly stayed the same or even decreased. Many providers have since given up the incontinence sector, he reports. Geria+med, on the other hand, continues to grow – also because the company invests in consulting and care. "We are not mere suppliers. Our employees relieve nurses, doctors, and relatives through competent initial assessments and individual recommendations." For Lukas Kramer, this is a central message to the politicians: "Consultation in the homecare sector must finally be compensated," he says. Together with other companies, Geria+med is therefore involved in an initiative that brings this issue more into focus.
Digitalization with a Sense of Proportion
Digitalization is another area that Geria+med is actively advancing. Today, the company already advises clients via video call, WhatsApp, or email, and employs AI-supported processes. "But in the end, the human element is crucial. No artificial intelligence can replace an empathetic conversation," emphasizes Lukas Kramer. Yet, digital tools significantly ease the workload: orders and accounting are increasingly conducted digitally, and communication with health insurance companies will also be more electronically based in the future. "In the next five years, the industry will be almost fully digitalized – even though regulatory requirements today still often lead to mountains of paper." Sustainability also plays a role. Although incontinence products are difficult to recycle due to their materials, Geria+med is committed to environmentally friendly packaging, the DHL GoGreen program, and conscious resource use in operations. "We can't completely solve the problem, but we can help reduce waste and emissions," explains Lukas Kramer. He also finds new product developments exciting: smart aids that reduce material consumption and thus offer both ecological and economic benefits.
Vision and Motivation
With an annual revenue of around 5 million EUR, Geria+med is steadily growing. Lukas Kramer always keeps the vision in mind to ensure high care quality and to expand the range of customer-friendly services. This includes allowing patients more autonomy by letting them adjust or manage their care independently. His personal drive? "It brings me incredible joy to work on solutions every day that make people's lives easier. Especially in such a sensitive industry, it's fulfilling when customers trust us over the long term." For him, it's precisely this mix of social responsibility and entrepreneurial creativity that is appealing. "As long as there are challenges we can overcome, the work remains exciting."