German Federal Constitutional Court limits homeopathy coverage and overturns triage rule

The German Federal Constitutional Court issued two major health‑policy rulings. In a May 20 2026 decision, the court upheld the doctor‑only requirement for native, extended native and autologous serum therapies and ordered that, from 1 January 2027, statutory health insurance will no longer cover homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies as a regular benefit. The ruling also restricts insurers from offering these treatments even as voluntary services, while keeping a narrow exemption for acupuncture in chronic lower‑back or knee pain.

Earlier, on 4 November 2025, the same court declared the COVID‑era triage regulation unconstitutional, nullifying the legal framework that had dictated how scarce intensive‑care resources were allocated. The decision restores full professional discretion to doctors and removes the statutory triage criteria that had been in place since the pandemic.

Both judgments reshape the boundaries between medical practice, patient protection and public health financing in Germany.