Overview
- KBV chief Andreas Gassen proposes a “Facharzttarif” of about €200–€350 per year to let insured patients see specialists without a GP referral or digital triage, which is not government policy.
- Gassen argues the tariff revenue would finance additional specialist appointments paid outside existing budget caps, noting many specialist services are currently only about 80 percent remunerated.
- Greens and Left leaders warn the plan would entrench two‑tier access and disadvantage lower‑income patients, urging structural reforms and a modern primary‑care gatekeeping model instead.
- Union figures push broader financing shifts, including fully tax‑funding ‘versicherungsfremde Leistungen’ of roughly €57 billion and, in some proposals, penalties for bypassing GPs, alongside support for a binding Primärarztsystem.
- Financial strain remains acute, with the GKV posting a 2024 deficit of roughly €6–6.7 billion as Minister Nina Warken seeks a €4 billion federal top‑up, the CDU Wirtschaftsrat urges more out‑of‑pocket payment for dental and orthodontic care, and insurers call for an expenditure moratorium.