Overview

• Die Linke’s Ellena Schumacher Koelsch called for statutory insurers to fund permanent beard removal as part of gender-affirming care, extending the demand to women with hirsutism.
• She urged the federal coalition to ensure coverage for all transition-related treatments, including facial-hair removal, while pressing state-level insurers and medical associations for a quick, practical solution.
• According to Schumacher Koelsch, no doctor’s office in Baden-Württemberg currently offers electrolysis for these cases even though reimbursement hinges on treatment in a medical practice.
• Patients reportedly face waits of many months, and while laser hair removal exists as an alternative, it does not work for everyone.
• The push comes as health-insurance contributions are reported at an average 17.5 percent, with state elections set for March 8, 2026 and a May poll putting Die Linke at about seven percent.