New Chronic Illness Care Package Faces Criticism for Limited Scope
The introduction of a new care package for individuals with chronic illnesses in Germany has drawn criticism from healthcare stakeholders, who argue that its limited scope fails to address the needs of a significant portion of the intended patient population.
The care package, which was established as part of the Health Care Strengthening Act passed by the Bundestag in January 2025, aims to simplify processes for patients who are stable on their medication. Under the new system, these patients are no longer required to visit their physician each quarter solely to obtain a follow-up prescription. The original intent of the legislation was to reduce unnecessary office visits, alleviate appointment bottlenecks, and free up healthcare providers to accept new patients.
Implementation details were determined by the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) in March 2026 following several months of negotiation. The final arrangement allows practices to bill a care package for up to four quarters, depending on the disease in question.
However, the specific criteria for eligibility have significantly narrowed the reach of the care package. The regulation currently applies only to adults aged 18 to 74 who have exactly one chronic illness and are prescribed a single medication for that condition. Furthermore, only four diagnostic categories are included: hypertension, hypothyroidism, idiopathic gout, and lipid metabolism disorders.
This narrow focus has led to concerns that many patients with multiple chronic conditions or those taking more than one medication are excluded from the new process. For example, a patient with both high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol must continue to make quarterly visits to present their electronic health card, even if no medical intervention is required and the visit is solely for administrative purposes.
Additional complexity arises from various detailed provisions. Eligibility can be influenced by factors such as whether a patient has visited the practice during previous quarters or if another specialist has diagnosed an additional chronic condition in the interim. Family doctors wishing to implement the package face the challenge of identifying which patients meet all the stipulated requirements. This often necessitates supplementary checks or adjustments to practice workflows, potentially increasing administrative workload instead of reducing it.
Originally, the care package was intended to cover a full year, but in its current form, it is limited to a six-month period. Healthcare service providers have pointed out that this further diminishes its potential to streamline processes for both patients and practices.
The sector continues to call for broader eligibility, simplified administrative requirements, and inclusion of more chronic illnesses to realize the full benefits of reduced bureaucracy and improved access to care. Stakeholders suggest that without these adjustments, the care package risks falling short of its intended impact on the healthcare system.