Browsing Tag
Health
258 posts
Coalition Chief Defends Realistic Timeline for Major Health Care Overhaul
The chief of the Chancellery, Thorsten Frei (CDU), affirmed the timeline for the planned healthcare reform despite ongoing…
CDU CSU Union Threatens Health Reform Rejection Over Citizen Benefit Funding
The health policy figures from the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction are insisting that the federal budget must cover the…
Pain Specialists Slam Proposed Health Care Cuts
The German Society for Pain Medicine (DGS) has sharply criticized the planned cuts within the healthcare system. According…
Three Quarters Oppose Higher Co-Payments As Health Insurance Faces Billion Dollar Deficit
The statutory health insurance system faces a looming deficit of billions of euros, prompting the federal government to…
Health Minister Defends Skin Cancer Screening Changes Amid Widespread Criticism
The proposed change to making skin cancer screening a general mandatory benefit has met with substantial criticism, but…
Hospital Lobby Slams Health Bill Warning Crisis Deepens
Gerald Gaß, the Chairman of the Board of the German Hospital Association, has sharply criticized the proposed bill…
Junge Union Demands Government Fund Health Costs for Benefit Recipients
Johannes Winkel, Chairman of the Young Union, is demanding that the costs associated with the health insurance of…
Health Reform Backlash Union Workers Demand Changes From CDU Minister
Members of the CDU parliamentary faction are calling for changes to the reform plans proposed by Federal Health…
SPD Politician Advocates For Structural Health Insurance Reform Over Cost Shifting
As discussions about healthcare reform progress, structural issues within the health insurance system are gaining increasing attention, alongside…
Health Reform Concerns Amid Lobbying Fears
Following protests against the draft law proposed by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), various insurance funds and consumer…
Consumer Advocates Pressure Delay of Health Care Reform in Germany
Germany’s consumer protection advocates are urging for more time regarding the healthcare reform. Ramona Pop, a board member…
SPD Plans Cuts To Lower Statutory Health Insurance Costs
The SPD is proposing to reduce the number of statutory health insurance funds as part of a proposed…
CSU Demands Changes Over Health Reform Package
The Parliamentary Managing Director of the CSU state group in the Bundestag, Reinhard Brandl, indicated that there are…
German Health Minister Wants Salary Caps for Health Insurance Executives
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) intends to include salary caps for the chief board members and executive…
SPD Slams Health Ministry’s Premium Cap Hike Citing Worker Burden
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) reacted with skepticism to the plans proposed by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU)…
Germany Slashes Sick Pay and Dental Coverage to Bolster Health Insurance Funds
To stabilize the health insurance funds, the federal government intends to reduce sickness benefits and reimbursements for dental…
Health Insurance Reform Calls For Shrinking Number Of German Providers
Carsten Linnemann, the party secretary for the CDU, suggested that the number of health insurance funds in Germany…
Germany Health Minister Aims to Raise Health Insurance Contribution Limit
The German Minister of Health, Nina Warken (CDU), intends to raise the contribution assessment ceiling within the statutory…
Young Union Pushes for Tax Funding of Basic Income Health Costs
The Youth Union (JU) is strongly advocating for the complete coverage of healthcare costs for recipients of the…
SPD Leader Slams Health Insurance Plan Demanding Major Overhaul
Dirk Wiese, the first Parliamentary Director of the SPD parliamentary group, criticized the proposed reforms for the statutory…
Health Reform Fears Prompt Founders’ Association Warning of Business Closures
The Association of Founders and Self-Employed People Germany (VGSD) has warned about an impending wave of business closures…
SPD Slams Health Reform Plans Citing Systemic Weaknesses
The SPD is reportedly resisting the plans put forward by Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) concerning the…
Van Aken Steps Down as Linken Co-Chair Citing Health Reasons
Jan van Aken announced on Wednesday that he will resign as co-chair of The Left party before the…
SoVD Slams Proposed Cut to Free Family Health Coverage
The German Social Association (SoVD) criticized the planned significant restriction of free supplementary insurance coverage for married individuals…
Employers Praise Health System Cuts As Minister’s Reforms Signal Fiscal Relief
Rainer Dulger, the president of the employers’ association BDA, praised the reforms announced by Health Minister Nina Warken…
Green Party Slams Health Reforms Calling Plans Unbalanced Burden
The Green Party has voiced strong criticism regarding the austerity plans put forward by Health Minister Nina Warken…
DAK Slams Federal Health Minister’s Reform Plan as Inherently Unfair
Andreas Storm, the CEO of the statutory health insurance provider DAK-Gesundheit, has sharply criticized the plans put forward…
Health Insurance Leaders Reject Calls to Slash Mandatory Health Funds
The recent call from CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to drastically reduce the number of statutory health insurance…
German Health Minister Unveils Major Savings Package for National Health Insurance
Two weeks after the Financial Commission for Health published its report on stabilizing contribution rates in statutory health…
CDU Chief Calls For Abolishing Most Health Insurance Funds
The CDU’s General Secretary, Carsten Linnemann, advocates for eliminating the majority of the currently existing 93 statutory health…
Doctors Support Tobacco Tax Hike Demand Health System Funding Guarantee
General practitioners support the federal government’s planned increase in the tobacco tax for this year, but they insist…
SPD Minister Klingbeil Skeptical of Major Health Insurance Reform
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) voiced skepticism regarding the most significant reform proposal from the expert commission concerning…
Coalition Revises Plan To Save Spouses Free Health Insurance Benefits
Following protests from unions and insured individuals against the complete removal of cost-free supplementary insurance for spouses with…
GKV Chief Predicts Decline in Number of German Health Insurance Providers
Oliver Blatt, the chairman of the GKV-Spitzenverband (the central association for statutory health insurance providers), anticipates a continued…
Health Leaders Push for Sugar Alcohol and Tobacco Taxes to Curb Illness
Oliver Blatt, Chairman of the GKV Upper Board, advocated for measures like implementing a sugar tax and raising…
Doctor Association Slapped Critics Over Declining Appointment Scheduling Amid Health Reform Plans
Oliver Blatt, Chairman of the GKV-Spitzenverband, has sharply criticized statements made by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance…
One in Five Health Apps Prove Useless Spending Millions From Insurers
Since the regulatory inclusion of Digital Health Applications (DiGAs) in 2020, statutory health insurance funds have spent 400…
AOK Hints At Lower Health Insurance Premiums With Key Reforms
Carola Reimann, the Chairman of the AOK Federation, suggested that health insurance contributions could decrease if the federal…
German Minister Backs Tax Funding Over Insurance for Welfare Health Costs
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has argued that in the future, the healthcare costs for recipients of…
Health Minister Warken Opts for Partial Acceptance of Finance Commission Health Cuts
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) said she will only partially adopt the cost‑cutting proposals of the Health Finance Commission. In…
DGB Rejects Health Commission Cost‑Cutting Plans
The German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) has said that the latest reform proposals from the Health Finance…
German Health Spending Rises to €538.2 Billion in 2024
German health spending reached €538.2 billion in 2024, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Thursday. That equals €6,444…
SPD Urges Health Minister Warken to Push Cost‑Sharing Plan Through Parliament Before Summer Break
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is pressuring Health Minister Nina Warken of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to…
Warken Calls for Compromise on Health Insurance Savings Plan
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) urged the governing coalition to demonstrate willingness to compromise on the planned…
Ricarda Lang and Gregor Gysi Demand Fairer Health Reforms and Stronger Prevention
Against the backdrop of the recently presented proposals to reform the health system, Greens politician Ricarda Lang and Left…
Left Party Slams One‑Sided Health Insurance Reform as Patient Burden
The Left party views the proposals from the experts’ commission on stabilising health insurers as placing an unequal…
Commission Unveils 66 Measures to Stabilize Health Insurance Contributions
The Health Finance Commission has presented its first report on stabilising contribution rates in Germany’s statutory health insurance…
Greens Demand Fast Implementation of GKV Health Insurance Reform Plan
Janosch Dahmen, the Green party’s health‑policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, urged the federal government to bring the statutory…
Germany Green Health Minister Janosch Dahmen Wants Bürgergeld Costs Removed From Health Insurance
Before Nina Warken and the expert commission present their reform proposals for the statutory health insurance system, Green health‑policy…
German Employer Leader Calls for Health Budget Freeze amid Financial Crisis Concerns
A few days before the government commission on health insurance is set to hand over its reform proposals,…
Bundestag Passes Law to Speed Up Recognition of Foreign Health Care Credentials
The German Bundestag has passed a bill to speed up the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in health…
Free Spouse Co‑Insurance Looms as Health Care Costs Rise for Families
The statutory health and long‑term care insurance schemes could become noticeably more expensive for many families. According to…
Pharmacy Protest Stirs as Health Insurers Reject Honorarium Demands
Health insurers sharply reject the pharmacies’ demand for higher fees, accusing them of spreading false claims. Addressing a…
Streeck Defends E Cigarette Ingredient Ban to Protect Public Health
The federal government’s drug commissioner, Hendrik Streeck of the CDU, defended the proposed ban on ingredients used in e‑cigarette…
Germany Faces Crisis As One Third of Hospitals Threatened with Insolvency Health Bodies Urge Extended Financial Support
The German Hospital Association (DKG) and the German County Council have warned that another wave of hospital closures…
DGB Speaks Out Against Health Fund Cuts Calls Reform Unfair
DGB chief Yasmin Fahimi has warned against raising contributions and cutting benefits in the health and long‑term care…
Ministry Rejects Covering Health Insurance Costs for Basic Income Recipients
In talks to curb spending in statutory health insurance, the Labour Ministry led by Bärbel Bas has apparently dismissed…
German Health Insurers Urge Minister Warken to Slash Skyrocketing Drug Prices
Germany’s sickness funds have urged Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) to take action on ever‑higher drug prices. “Drug prices…
Reichinnek Fires on Social Media Ban for Youth, Warns of Rising Mental Health Crisis
Heidi Reichinnek, the chairwoman of The Left’s faction in the Bundestag, sharply criticized the federal government in the…
G-BA Chairman Spurs Debate Over Free Spouse Insurance in German Health Reform
Chairman of the Joint Federal Committee (G‑BA), Josef Hecken, supports ending the provision that allows spouses to be covered…
German Cabinet Approves Medical Registry Law to Enhance Data Use in Health Care, Research and Innovation Evaluation
The federal cabinet has approved a new law on medical registries, aiming to enhance the use of registry…
German Health Insurers Push Patient Control Through New Smartphone App
German statutory health insurers are promoting a patient‑steering app.Oliver Blatt, chairman of the GKV‑Spitzenverband, told the “Neue Osnabrücker…
German Health Insurance Strikes Deficit as Expenditures Outpace Income in 2025
The expenditures of statutory health insurers in 2025 rose far more than their contributions. According to preliminary statements,…
GKV Calls for Rapid Reforms to Stop 2025 Health Contribution Hike
After Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) announced that she wants to keep supplementary health‑insurance contributions stable, the…
Germany Health Minister Targets Removal of Paper Medication Leaflets To Slash Bureaucracy
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) plans to roll out a comprehensive legal reform aimed at cutting bureaucracy within the…
Bundestag Won’t Let SPD‑Green Set Pace of Pension and Health Reforms
When it comes to the planned pension and health reforms, the German Bundestag does not want its pace…
Warken Celebrates EU Pact On Pharmacy Boosting Europe’s Health Stature
German Federal Health Minister Nina Warken described the EU’s agreement on the European pharmaceutical package as a crucial…
German Health Insurers Await Bundestag Vote on Hospital Reform With Hope for Savings
The statutory health insurers are hoping the Bundestag will give the hospital reform a green light on Friday,…
German Statutory Health Insurers Post €3.5 Billion Surplus in 2025 Despite Rising Expenditures
Despite notably higher expenditures, statutory health insurance funds concluded 2025 with a surplus of €3.5 billion, according to figures…
Warken Announces Sweeping Health Care Reforms, Seeks To End Rising Insurance Costs
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) announced sweeping reforms to Germany’s healthcare system, pledging an end to the steady rise of…
German Health Minister Targets Egg Donation Legalisation, Seeks to Keep Couples In-House
Ministry of Health Nina Warken (CDU) is planning to launch an initiative so that the Bundestag can, in…
Health Minister Nina Warken Rejects Doctors’ Criticism Of Pharmacy Reform Ahead Of Bundestag Debate
Shortly before the first Bundestag debate on the pharmacy reform, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) dismissed criticism…
Health Minister Warken Stays Against Ending Phone Sick Notes Despite Party Call
Despite the decision made at the CDU party conference, Health Minister Nina Warken has no current plans to…
Health economist urges higher hospital stay co‑pay
Boris Augurzky, a health economist at the RWI Leibniz Institute, has called for a rise in hospital co‑payments.…
German Parliament Rejects Full Elimination of Voluntary Health Insurance Benefits
The governing coalitions of the CDU/CSU and SPD rejected the chief doctors’ proposal to eliminate all voluntary benefits…
Greens and Health Insurers Warn of Warken Hospital Reform Amid Massive Criticism
The planned adjustment of Germany’s hospital reform has drawn fierce criticism from both the Greens and the health…
Doctors’ Association Demands Removal of Optional Health Fund Services
In the debate over cutting costs in the German health system, Kassenärztechef Andreas Gassen is calling for the…
Former CDU Hamburg Leader Ploß Launches Anti‑SPD Health Plan Petition at Party Conference
Former Hamburg CDU chairman Christoph Ploß is preparing a motion for the upcoming CDU party conference that would formally…
German Medical Society Calls for Expanded Women’s Health Research
The German Society for Internal Medicine (DGIM) is urging the federal government to put more emphasis on women’s…
Warken Open To Expanding Health Insurance Contributions To Cover Pensions Rents And Capital Gains With Savings Package
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) said she does not oppose the SPD’s proposal to include pensions, rent and capital gains…
Germany’s Health Minister Readies System for War Scenarios
German Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) said the country is not yet ready for war‑time health emergencies. She…
Streeck Welcomes Menthol Ban in E‑Cigarettes as Crucial Step for Youth Health
Hendrik Streeck, the federal government’s drug commissioner, welcomed Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer’s proposal to ban menthol and other additives in e‑cigarettes.…
Health Minister Laumann Calls for Groundbreaking Nursing Reform
NRW Health Minister Karl‑Josef Laumann (CDU) says the social nursing‑care insurance is a successful model but insists that…
Health Insurers Warn Against Funding Pharma Industry At Taxpayer’s Expense
The German Statutory Health Insurance Federation has formally rejected a proposal that would fund industry policy aimed at…
Majority Back Sugar Tax Amid Youth Health Debate
A new survey supports the case for a sugar‑tax, according to a study cited by the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”…
Germany’s Warken Announces Billion Dollar Health Reform Ahead of Summer
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) announced comprehensive reforms aimed at stabilising Germany’s statutory health insurance system amid billions‑worth deficits.…
Germany Health Minister Pairs No-Referral Fees With Primary Care Overhaul
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) plans to introduce a primary‑care system to improve the coordination of patient…
Statutory Health Insurers Sue Federal Government to Cover More Costs for Citizen Benefit Recipients
The umbrella association of statutory health insurers (GKV) is campaigning to force the federal government to increase its…
IW Chief Criticizes SPD Health Levy as Unnecessary Burden on Health Insurance
Criticism of the health levy that the SPD plans to impose on capital income continues unabated. The senior…
VdK Supports SPD Plan to Use Rent and Capital Income for Health Insurance Demands Exemption Thresholds
The VdK Social Union backs the SPD’s recent call to include rental and capital‑income systematically in the financing…
Economist Werding Rejects SPD Proposal to Tax Dividends Interest and Rental Income for Health Fund
Economics expert Martin Werding has rejected the SPD’s proposal to introduce a new health‑contribution levy on dividends, interest income,…
Warken Rejects SPD Plan to Fund Health Insurance with Rental and Capital Gains
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) has rejected the SPD’s proposal to tap rental income and capital gains to fund…
SPD Criticises Debate Over Health Service Cuts Tim Kluessendorf Speaks Out
Tim Klüssendorf, the general secretary of the SPD, sharply criticized the ongoing debates over cuts to dental prosthesis…
SPD Proposes Universal Health Levy Across All Income Types to Fund Healthcare System
The SPD has drafted a proposal to introduce a new levy for financing Germany’s health system. The draft,…
NRW Health Minister Declines Sugar Tax Rise Saying Timing Unfavorable
North Rhine‑Westphalia’s Health Minister Karl‑Josef Laumann (CDU) has rejected the calls that have been made by many groups to…
WHO Launches $1 Billion Global Appeal to Provide Health Care for Millions in Humanitarian Crises
The World Health Organization has launched a global appeal to guarantee millions of people in humanitarian crises and…
Warken Rejects Removal of Dental Services from Germany’s Statutory Health Insurance
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) rejected the CDU‑Business Council’s proposal to remove dental care from the statutory…
Germany’s Seniors Embrace Digital Health Solutions as Major Opportunity
Most seniors in Germany view digital health services as a major opportunity. A survey by IT industry association…
CDA Slams CDU Economic Council Drastic Cuts to Unemployment and Health Benefits
The Christian Democratic Employees’ Union of Germany (CDA) strongly condemned proposals from the CDU’s Economic Council that call…
Health Minister Warken Supports Higher Tobacco Tax to Reduce Smoking and Increase Health Literacy
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) stressed that a higher tobacco tax would help curb smoking. “It’s undisputed…