Overview
- The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV), led by Andreas Gassen, said on Saturday that the federal savings package cuts about €3 billion from GKV honoraria and will fall heavily on outpatient care.
- KBV and media reports say ear, nose and throat, orthopedics, cardiology, radiology and rheumatology practices face the biggest losses and some specialty groups could lose up to about 25% of revenue.
- Gassen told reporters he expects many practices to offer Privatsprechstunde (self‑pay) appointments to statutorily insured patients so clinicians are paid for work once their budget is exhausted.
- Many office‑based doctors have posted notices warning that fewer insured appointments will be available and patients may have to wait until the next quarterly budget reset for slots in their preferred practices.
- The KBV said it could negotiate a quota of guaranteed urgent appointments with insurers but insisted insurers must guarantee payment for reserved slots, a stance framed as 'who orders, pays.'