During the debate over long waiting times for specialist appointments, former health minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) called for a guaranteed booking for doctors who are part of the statutory health insurance system.

According to the “Rheinische Post” (Thursday), Lauterbach said, “We finally need a booking guarantee for specialists. If no appointment can be secured within three weeks, patients should be able to receive outpatient care in a hospital as if they were privately insured”. He added that the costs should come from the fee pool of outpatient specialists.

Earlier reports from the “Rheinische Post” noted that in 2024, statutory‑insurance patients waited an average of 42 days for a specialist appointment-up from 33 days in 2019. At the same time, annual public‑insurance spending on open consultation hours with doctors has been rising sharply.