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Germany’s Doctors and Hospitals Propose Patient Fees and Digital Triage

The ideas would feed into a federal expert commission due to deliver recommendations by March.

Overview

  • KBV chair Andreas Gassen proposes a €3–4 per‑visit “Kontaktgebühr” to discourage unnecessary consultations and bolster statutory insurers’ revenues.
  • Gassen also calls for a digital patient navigator reachable via 116 117 to advise and coordinate care to prevent duplicate treatments.
  • DKG chief Gerald Gaß urges doubling the daily hospital co‑payment from €10 to €20 and charging €30–40 for emergency visits without prior phone assessment.
  • Gaß estimates the higher hospital co‑payment could yield roughly €800 million in additional annual income for insurers.
  • Family doctors’ groups and patient advocates criticize the charges as socially unfair, while the proposals remain under debate with no laws enacted.