The statutory health insurance associations plan to launch a digital navigator that could, in specific circumstances, issue prescriptions or specialist referrals without any prior doctor contact. The idea comes from a concept presented by the industry’s umbrella organization, which was reported by several newspapers in the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” during their Monday editions.
According to the proposal, the navigator would become a compulsory first step before a patient even visits a medical practice. It would be accessible either through a smartphone app or by calling the health insurance hotline at 116117. From the insured’s point of view, this tool is expected to become an important initial point of contact within the healthcare system. By asking structured questions and using data from the electronic patient record, the system would assess the urgency of a case and route the patient to the most suitable part of the care continuum.
Possible routes might include an appointment with a general practitioner, a transfer to the emergency department, a video consultation, or an electronic referral to a specialist. The associations emphasise that they aim to create a neutral, transparent appointment platform that serves all patients fairly.
“We need to bring German healthcare into the digital present” said Vice‑President Stefanie Stoff‑Ahnis in an interview with RND. “This is overdue, especially given the shortage of skilled professionals and financing challenges”. She highlighted that, in certain cases, the new digital navigator could grant a specialist referral directly, without any doctor contact. It could also issue repeat prescriptions for chronically ill patients who are well managed. “Future care processes will certainly exist that can be handled entirely digitally, with no doctor contact required at all” she added, stressing the need for a modern, digitally supported primary care system.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) is scheduled to meet with various health‑industry associations to discuss how a primary‑care system should be structured.