German statutory health insurance doctors warned on Monday that patients will face longer waiting times for appointments starting next year due to government reforms cutting funding for outpatient care.
Andreas Gassen, chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), told *Bild* that the federal government’s reduction in outpatient care funding had already eliminated over 50 million appointments. He argued that a new requirement for practices to report a fixed number of available slots would worsen access, as those reserved terms would no longer be available for other patients. “The shortage of appointments will further intensify,” Gassen said .
The KBV has repeatedly raised concerns about the reform, which also includes expanded mandatory reporting of open appointments. Previously, doctors could determine the number of slots they reported to the appointment service; under the new rules, regional health insurance physician associations will set fixed quotas in agreement with insurers. Gassen criticized the policy as counterproductive, stating that blocking appointments for reporting purposes would reduce flexibility for patients .
The reforms are part of a broader cost-cutting package approved by the Bundestag and Bundesrat, aimed at relieving pressure on statutory health insurers by €15 billion in 2027. Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) acknowledged the financial strain on the system, emphasizing the need for structural solutions to ensure long-term stability .
Gassen insisted that only increased funding for outpatient care would resolve the issue. “Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively simple economic dependencies,” he said . The KBV’s warnings follow the government’s decision to eliminate extra-budgetary compensation for additional appointments, which Gassen argued had already reduced capacity .
