Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
German insurers reject doctors’ warning of fewer appointments after bonus cuts
Germany’s statutory health insurers and doctors are disputing whether a health reform will reduce appointments.
Doctors’ association head Andreas Gassen says cuts to outpatient-care funding will mean longer waits for people with statutory insurance.
The insurers say the reform removes bonuses for especially fast appointments, not fees for medical services.
They argue the bonuses failed to shorten waiting times, which instead grew.
For 2027, doctors’ fees for medical services are set to rise by 2.2%, or one billion euros, according to the insurers.
They say total payments to doctors in private practices will remain around 50 billion euros, while Gassen warns that appointment shortages will worsen.
German statutory health insurers rejected doctors’ warnings that cuts to bonus payments would lead to fewer appointments.
The insurers said the cuts affect extra payments for especially fast appointments, not fees for medical services.
Doctors’ association head Andreas Gassen warned that people with statutory insurance would face much longer waits.
Insurers’ deputy chief Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis said the extra payments had failed to reduce waiting times.
The insurers said doctors’ fees for 2027 would rise by 2.2 percent, or one billion euros.
- Who
- Germany’s statutory health insurers and doctors’ association head Andreas Gassen.
- What
- Insurers rejected doctors’ warnings that cuts to bonus payments would reduce appointments and increase waiting times.
- When
- The report was published on October 25, 2026.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- The dispute concerns a government health reform that removes extra payments for especially fast appointments.
German statutory health insurers
Doctors’ association
Effect of bonus cuts
German statutory health insurers
The cuts remove bonuses for fast appointments, not fees for medical services, and will not require fewer appointments.
Doctors’ association
Andreas Gassen warned that cuts to funding for outpatient care would mean longer waits for people with statutory insurance.
Purpose of extra payments
German statutory health insurers
The bonuses did not achieve their goal of reducing waiting times, so spending contributions on them was unjustified.
Doctors’ association
Not stated
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Fee increase for 2027
- 2.2 percent, or one billion euros
- Total doctors’ fees cited by insurers
- Around 50 billion euros
- Doctors’ average annual practice net income
- More than 200,000 euros before taxes and social contributions
- Appointments cited by Gassen
- More than 50 million said to have been cut by the government’s outpatient-care reform
What people are saying
The claim that there must be fewer doctor appointments because they are paid less is not correct
It was and is not justifiable to spend contribution funds on ineffective extra payments