German healthcare associations demand regional control over medical care

Four healthcare associations—the ADA, BMC, DGIV, and NDGR—are calling for increased regional control over medical and nursing care in Germany. In a joint position paper, the groups propose the implementation of regional budgets to allow local doctors, clinics, and other actors to manage care orders based on population needs.

The associations argue that the current healthcare system is struggling with demographic changes, labor shortages, and rising demand. They identify the strict sectoral separation of the system as a major barrier to interprofessional networking and patient-oriented care. This fragmentation often leads to issues such as duplicate examinations, avoidable hospitalizations, and uncoordinated support for the elderly and chronically ill.

To improve efficiency, the groups advocate for better coordination through case management, prevention, telemedicine, and digital care plans. They also seek to make it easier to transition successful pilot projects into standard care, suggesting that selective contracts should be opened to all insured individuals in a region if more than 60 percent of health insurance funds participate.