German Health Minister Gerlach Calls for Fair Funding in Statutory Insurance Reform

Health Minister Judith Gerlach announced she will demand a fair distribution of costs in the planned reform of Germany's statutory health insurance (GKV) at an upcoming Bundesrat meeting. She criticised the federal government's proposal to cut subsidies for non‑insurance services by €2 billion annually while only allocating a symbolic €250 million to cover the financing gap for health expenses incurred by recipients of citizen assistance. Gerlach warned that the GKV faces a €12 billion yearly shortfall and cautioned that the draft law could spark a "financial fire" if unchanged. She also called for a bureaucracy‑relief law to give hospitals more operational freedom amid growing economic pressure.

At the same time, representatives of the private health insurance sector (PKV) have publicly opposed what they describe as a back‑door “Bürgerversicherung”. They label the proposals – including the possible inclusion of civil servants into the GKV and raising the contribution assessment ceiling – as absurd and defend the dual insurance system. The PKV warned that accompanying reforms, such as changes to the GOÄ fee schedule, could reduce revenues for radiology practices by up to 36 %.