The SPD rejected the warnings issued by the head of the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, regarding potentially long waiting times for specialist appointments, which he linked to possible cost savings within the health system. Furthermore, the faction criticized Gassen’s dismissal of the SPD’s proposal for a guarantee of appointment scheduling, calling it “bullshit”. Christos Pantazis, the SPD’s health policy spokesperson, told the newspaper “Welt” that the KBV chief’s statements were “untenable and clearly influenced by vested interests”. Pantazis argued that predicting generalized waiting times of “50 days or more” constitutes fear-mongering rather than offering a solution, as it deliberately distracts from the real underlying issues: a lack of proper coordination, flawed incentives, and inefficient resource utilization. Pantazis also pointed out a “central contradiction” in Gassen’s reasoning: “On one hand, Mr. Gassen himself explains that only a small portion of cases are medically urgent-yet on the other, he paints a picture of widespread care problems”. Pantazis reiterated the demand by SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch for an appointment guarantee, stating that “a system that continues to produce average waiting times of around 42 days despite rising spending does not need more money allocated haphazardly, but rather needs better management”. He emphasized that it is crucial for appointments to be assigned only when “medically necessary and sensible”.
Pantazis also criticized Gassen’s tone towards Miersch as “disrespectful and revealing”. He asserted that an appointment guarantee is not “bullshit” but represents the legitimate right of patients to reliable and timely care. The SPD, he concluded, would not let itself be dictated by “particular interests” or “threats” regarding the financial stabilization of the statutory health insurance. He warned that anyone who argues for longer wait times to defend their own economic interests risks effectively holding patients “hostage”.
The opposition Union also voiced strong criticism of Gassen’s remarks. Susanne Borchardt (CDU), the party’s health policy spokesperson, stated, “The current debate surrounding the recommendations of the GKV Finance Commission is marked by escalating conflict and an attempt to demonstrate everything that does not work. This is not helpful at this point”. She added that those who reflexively sketch problems are often primarily defending their own area of responsibility instead of looking at the entire system. Borchardt announced that “we will need a package of measures that interconnect and develop the entire system in a sustainable way” aiming for a balanced legislative package that ensures reliable care while simultaneously providing “tangible relief” to citizens.
The Green faction also criticized the KBV chief’s statements. Health policy expert Janosch Dahmen told the “Welt” that Gassen’s warnings were fundamentally “a political pressure tactic by the medical associations”. He criticized the use of manufactured appointment shortages to generate fear, calling it dishonest and unrelated to medical responsibility. Dahmen argued that forecasting “widespread deterioration” fundamentally questions the medical profession’s own capability. If existing structures can no longer cope, hospitals must be better opened up for outpatient care. Dahmen disagreed with the Miersch proposal, asserting, “A rigid appointment guarantee falls short. What is crucial is care based on medical necessity, not a politically set deadline”.
In contrast, the AfD provided strong support for the KBV chief in the Bundestag. Martin Sichert, the party’s spokesperson for health policy, stated, “Gassen is right. It is high time to abolish budgeting so that every treatment for a statutory patient can be reimbursed”. He claimed that long waiting times are already costing many lives, and cutting funding for local practitioners “kills patients”. Regarding an appointment guarantee, Sichert rejected it, calling it “a utopia that only leads to more bureaucracy”. He insisted that if budgeting and bureaucracy were abolished, doctors could treat more patients, “and waiting times would automatically decrease”.