BVKJ demands immediate health insurance coverage for newborns

The Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescent Physicians (BVKJ) is calling for a new legal regulation to ensure all newborns have verifiable health insurance coverage from their first day of life. Currently, many infants do not receive proof of statutory health insurance for four to twelve weeks after birth.

This delay creates significant financial risks for pediatric practices. Doctors often have to use substitute billing procedures, and if a child is not correctly insured, practices face the risk of having fees and vaccine costs reclaimed up to two years later. The issue has become particularly acute with the RSV immunization season, as the vaccine costs approximately 450 euros per dose and must be prescribed individually. Many families cannot afford to pay this amount upfront while waiting for insurance documentation.