German Health Law Slashes Doctors' Income, Psychotherapists Call for Reversal

Germany's GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, aimed at saving up to €550 million annually in the statutory health‑insurance system, reduces reimbursements for outpatient services. The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) estimates that from 2027 each private‑practice doctor will lose about €3,629 a year, with specialists facing cuts of roughly €30,000 annually. Overall, a typical physician could see a net income drop of €7,465 per year, while radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy departments also face significant reductions.

Psychotherapy organisations, including the Deutsche Psychotherapeutenvereinigung (DPtV), argue that the law's removal of extrabudgetary payment for psychotherapeutic services harms care provision. They demand that all psychotherapeutic treatments, especially for children, adolescents and neuro‑psychological cases, be reimbursed outside the budget, citing increased demand after the COVID‑19 pandemic and an ageing population. The groups call on legislators to amend the law to restore full extrabudgetary remuneration for these services.