German doctors shut thousands of practices to protest health‑reform cuts

On 10 June 2026 doctors across Germany closed their offices for a day, displaying signs such as “Sparpolitik vernichtet Praxis‑Termine!” to protest the government’s planned GKV contribution‑stabilisation law. The reform, promoted by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet and Health Minister Nina Warken, would cut physicians’ fees by up to 30 % and could eliminate more than 40 million appointments annually from 2027, leading to longer waiting times, reduced services and possible practice closures.

Medical bodies including the Free Doctors Association, Medi Geno, regional doctors’ councils and the KBV warned that the measures would force staff cuts, push practices toward private care and jeopardise patient safety. They urged patients to expect “much longer waiting times, admission stops and practice closures”. The protest aims to pressure the Bundestag, where the law is scheduled for its first reading.

The government argues the law will prevent rises in health‑insurance contributions, but critics say it leaves major cost drivers – the pharmaceutical industry and non‑medical state spending – untouched.