Overview

• KBV chief Andreas Gassen argues fewer short-term doctor visits would relieve practices and save about €100 million a year, citing roughly 1.4 million work hours avoided.
• Germany issues about 116 million sick notes annually, and the KBV says slightly more than one third cover three days or fewer.
• Current law requires a medical certificate after three calendar days of incapacity, and employers may demand a note earlier under the Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz.
• Employer bodies including the BDA and Niedersachsenmetall condemned the idea as unacceptable, with leaders warning it could encourage abuse and disrupt operations.
• Political reporting indicates Health Minister Nina Warken is unlikely to fold the proposal into planned health-spending cuts, leaving the idea debated but unadopted.