The protocol declaration published today on the law to expand powers and reduce bureaucracy in care (BEEP), to which the GKV savings package is linked, states that “short-term and immediately effective measures are essential” in order to stabilize contributions to statutory health insurance. “Measures limited to 2026” are planned, including the suspension of the most-favored-nation clause. This is “basic effective” – and the “effects of basic effectiveness” will be “balanced out” in 2027.
The federal government is apparently taking up a compromise proposal from the German Hospital Association (DKG), which is supported by the states. It envisages adopting the savings package worth two billion euros as submitted to the Federal Council, but fully compensating for the 1.8 billion euro cut in clinics from 2027. The states had blocked the austerity package that had already been passed by the Bundestag because they did not want to support the hospital cuts. On Wednesday, the mediation committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat is now looking for an agreement. The Federal Council could then give the green light at its last meeting of the year on Friday.
With the GKV savings package, the federal government is relying on health insurance companies to be able to keep their contribution rates stable in 2026. According to the statement in the minutes, she hopes that this will also succeed in 2027 thanks to the reform proposals from the Health Finance Commission.
But there are still considerable doubts about this on the part of the health insurance companies. AOK association leader Carola Reimann warned that “a ten billion hole in statutory health insurance must be plugged next year”. “That means we need a savings package that is five times larger next year than today.” A major reform must therefore follow in 2026 “that will make the health system significantly fairer and more efficient”. The substitute health insurance association Vdek also warned that the one-time deletion of the most-favored-nation clause in hospitals was not a sustainable financial consolidation. (tie)
