Germany faces calls for stricter rules on self‑pay medical services

Patient protection groups and medical experts warn that many individually billed medical services (IGeL) offered by doctors lack scientific evidence and may even be harmful. They demand tighter regulation, clearer separation between standard care and paid add‑ons, and mandatory documentation of patient information in electronic health records.

The federal health ministry, responding to a parliamentary inquiry by the Green Party, says the existing legal framework already provides full protection and rejects proposals for a blanket ban, arguing that such measures would infringe on physicians' therapeutic freedom and patients' right to informational self‑determination. Oversight of compliance is left to the regional medical chambers. Green health politician Armin Grau and consumer advocates stress the need for a 24‑hour cooling‑off period, transparent pricing, and stronger controls to prevent economic interests from influencing medical decisions.