Overview
- Chancellery chief Thorsten Frei said some benefits will have to be dropped to make the health system cheaper, citing overuse and calling for primary‑care gatekeeping.
- Economic adviser Monika Schnitzer urged greater patient self‑contributions, including a low‑bureaucracy practice fee collected by insurers rather than doctors.
- Schnitzer warned contribution rates could approach 25% without reforms and pressed to remove benefits lacking scientific evidence, such as homeopathy.
- The sickness funds’ umbrella group rejected a practice fee as a distraction, noting expenditures are set to rise by about €23 billion to roughly €370 billion next year and demanding structural reforms.
- Verivox reported 31 insurers have announced higher supplemental contributions for 2026, including increases at Techniker Krankenkasse and DAK‑Gesundheit, underscoring immediate financial strain.