German GKV Stabilisation Bill Draws Patient and Hospital Criticism

Patient organisations, led by the House of Cancer Self‑Help (HKSH‑BV), warn that the draft GKV contribution‑stabilisation law will shift financial burdens onto chronically ill and cancer patients. They object to planned rises in co‑payments, the removal of free spouse co‑insurance and the continued financing of non‑GKV tasks such as benefits for citizens receiving basic income, arguing that “the stabilisation of the GKV must not be bought by deeper patient pockets”.

At the same time, a hospital reform attached to the same legislation is projected to cut billions from hospital revenues, threatening up to 140,000 jobs and jeopardising regional care provision. The plan caps the hospital care‑budget growth from 2027 and eliminates a supplemental funding line for staffing relief measures. Critics, including the German Hospital Association, say the reforms could lead to staff shortages and insolvency risks for many facilities.

Health Minister Nina Warken has distanced herself from Chancellor Friedrich Merk’s framing of the bill as a structural reform, while state governments and medical associations demand amendments. The Finance Ministry now estimates a 2027 deficit of €18.8 billion for the GKV, far exceeding earlier forecasts, intensifying pressure on the pending reform.