German Health Minister Nina Warken is calling for swift implementation of a new law allowing annual prescriptions for chronically ill patients. The measure aims to cut unnecessary doctor visits without raising costs for insurers or contributors. Yet, no concrete agreement on the details has been reached so far.
German Health Minister Nina Warken of the CDU has called for a 'swift agreement' on implementing annual prescriptions for chronically ill patients in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. "Given limited healthcare capacities, it makes sense to reduce unnecessary doctor contacts and waiting times and overcome the previous quarterly logic for chronic patients," she stated. Warken anticipates the implementation soon; otherwise, necessary steps will be reviewed under legal supervision.
The law, enabling chronically ill individuals to renew prescriptions only once a year, was passed under her predecessor Karl Lauterbach of the SPD. Doctors and health insurers are generally open to the reform but disagree on the specifics. Warken faces criticism for announcing plans prematurely.
A spokesperson for the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) described the change as a 'complex challenge' but expects an agreement this spring. The GKV-Spitzenverband echoed this: Co-chair Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis said, "Annual prescriptions as an additional option are good and right." This would spare patients unnecessary trips and ease the burden on practices.
Health economist Boris Augurzky from the RWI Institute estimates that the reform could cut a significant portion of the roughly one billion annual doctor visits – likely a seven-digit figure attributable to the quarterly system.
