(de-news.net) – The FinanzKommission Gesundheit’s first report, submitted this 30 March 2026, proposes a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving efficiency, controlling costs, and increasing revenues across the German health system. The measures, totaling 66, cover outpatient care, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, social insurance, and public health interventions.
In outpatient care, the reforms seek to limit compensation increases and remove unnecessary payments linked to the TSVG framework. They also include adjustments to reference values for pediatricians, a review of early cancer screening programs, reductions in fees for procedures such as cataract surgery, and the elimination of reimbursements for services that lack scientific evidence, including homeopathy. These measures are projected to generate significant savings, contributing to a reduction in overall expenditure by 5.5 billion euros in 2027 and up to 16.6 billion euros by 2030.
Hospital services are also targeted for efficiency gains. Measures aim to reduce unnecessary and excessive interventions through stricter monitoring, mandatory second opinions for sensitive procedures, and tighter oversight of hospital budgets and staffing costs. Consolidating hospital cases and adjusting reimbursements for technical and care-related services are expected to yield additional savings ranging from half a billion to over two billion euros in 2027, rising to between 0.3 billion and 3.0 billion euros by 2030.
Dynamic pricing, tenders, and evidence-based care
Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are another focus. The report proposes dynamic manufacturer discounts, price and volume adjustments, selective contracts for patent-protected drugs, and the reinstatement of pharmacy tenders. Reimbursements will be limited to products and services with proven benefits, with projected savings of 2.3 billion euros in 2027 and 5.2 billion euros by 2030. Moratoria on prices for certain remedies, and for electronic patient record updates, are also included to reduce costs.
Sickness benefits and social insurance are being revised to improve case management, harmonize rules with unemployment benefits, and adjust partial benefits, generating modest but meaningful savings. On the revenue side, the reforms aim to abolish contribution-free spousal insurance, adjust employer contributions for mini-jobs, ensure funding of contributions for citizen income recipients, and increase federal subsidies. Additional revenues are expected from higher taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages, collectively raising approximately 17.6 billion euros in 2027 and nearly 19.6 billion euros by 2030.
Other measures include limiting overtreatment in dental care and restricting reimbursements for cannabis flowers, promoting evidence-based practices in preventive examinations and laboratory tests, and gradually phasing out payments that are not tied to clear clinical benefit. Together, these reforms are meant to constitute a comprehensive effort to strengthen cost control, improve the efficiency and quality of care, and secure the sustainable financing of the German health system.
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Management Summary. Erster Bericht der Finanzkommission Gesundheit
