In future, patients will be entitled to a free copy of their treatment file. The Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the AOK Federal Association, Dr. Carola Reimann, welcomes this new regulation in the “Act on the Amendment of Consumer Contract and Insurance Contract Law and on the Amendment of Treatment Contract Law”. The law was passed by the German Bundestag on 19 December 2025 in second and third readings.

“With the new regulation on the inspection of the treatment file, the Federal Ministry of Justice is transposing the case law of the European Court of Justice into national law. This is a step forward for patients’ rights, because the right of patients to inspect their entire personal treatment file is specified at an important point with the law passed today. In future, medical practices and clinics will be obliged to provide patients with the first copy of their treatment file free of charge upon request.

A survey by the AOK and the Patient Safety Action Alliance recently showed that patients often still have to make great efforts to obtain their files. In order to remedy the still existing enforcement deficits in file inspection, we demand further improvements that affect the Patients’ Rights Act. There must be legal consequences if patients are denied access to their complete treatment file without giving reasons. The preparation of the file should also be regulated by law so that follow-up doctors can quickly get an overview of treatments carried out so far and their results.

In view of the extensive digitization of treatment records, we also demand that patients’ right of inspection be extended to the access rights and the change history of their digital file. In addition, the right of inspection should also be extended to documents such as hygiene plans or medical device books if they are important for the treatment.”

To the position paper of the AOK Association on the further development of patients’ rights: https://www.aok.de/pp/bv/positionen

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.