Overview
- On Saturday, November 14, 2026, the KBV said a new federal cost‑saving package cuts ambulatory physician honoraria by about €3 billion and will hit specialties such as ENT, orthopaedics, cardiology, radiology and rheumatology.
- KBV chair Andreas Gassen warned practices facing up to roughly 25 percent revenue losses may shorten the number of budgeted appointments, require patients to wait for the next quarter, or offer privately paid ‘private‑hour’ slots so every visit is paid.
- The KBV proposed negotiating a reserved quota for medically urgent appointments that would come with a guaranteed payment from insurers under a 'who orders, pays' principle.
- The Spitzenverband der Gesetzlichen Krankenkassen (GKV) called the KBV messaging an 'Angst‑Kampagne' and accused doctors of holding insured patients 'hostage', while social groups warned the shift to self‑pay options would deepen a two‑tier system.
- Germany’s outpatient system uses quarterly budgeted fees that stop paying once a practice’s allocation is exhausted, which is why doctors say cuts hit practice viability and why talks between KBV, insurers and policymakers are under way to find payment or quota compromises.