German laboratory associations warn of 34 percent compensation cut in GOÄ reform

Medical laboratory associations and professional societies in Germany are warning against proposed changes to the Fee Schedule for Physicians (GOÄ). A task force representing various diagnostic organizations claims the reform could result in a 34 percent reduction in compensation for laboratory services.

According to a statement submitted to the Federal Ministry of Health, the proposed devaluation is “economically unsustainable” for specialist laboratories and threatens the overall structure of medical care. The task force, which includes the Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM) and the German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL), cites a report from the WIG2 Institute to support their claims.

The report highlights a growing discrepancy: while the actual operating costs for laboratories have risen continuously, the GOÄ draft proposes significant cuts to reimbursement rates. The associations are demanding that the Ministry disclose the data and calculation models used for the reform and conduct a systematic impact assessment before the new regulations take effect.