Despite sharp criticism from the medical profession, the federal government wants to introduce its planned health savings law in the Bundestag in the first reading at the end of June. As the Free Medical Association announced on Monday, nationwide practice closures have been announced for Wednesday (June 10, 2026) as a protest.

According to the Free Medical Association , numerous practices want to remain closed on this day. Professional associations had called for protest. Patients should be informed about the feared consequences of health policy at the affected practices, it said.

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians expects a decline in the number of appointments on offer by more than 40 million doctor’s appointments when the law comes into force from 2027. This contradicts the political promises of a guaranteed appointment with a specialist, criticized representatives of the independent medical profession. The regulation exacerbates the underfunding of medical services by the health insurance companies, which has existed for years. In the future, remuneration should be well below the rates set out in the fee schedule in all areas.

Outpatient general and specialist care treats 97 percent of all cases of illness with only 16 percent of the expenditure of the statutory health insurance, the critics emphasized. Many doctors are therefore considering giving up their health insurance practice. Young doctors shy away from taking over contract doctors’ practices because of the uncertain prospects.

The Freie Ärzteschaft named the pharmaceutical industry and the state as the actual cost drivers. The state must finance non-insurance benefits from tax revenues. Since this does not happen, the restrictions are at the expense of those with statutory insurance.

Instead of tackling the financing problems fundamentally, politicians, health insurance companies and pharmacy representatives are relying on digital solutions and the shift of medical activities to non-medical staff, according to the doctors’ organization. The planned digital law “GeDIG” provides for access to medical care to be made more difficult in the future via health insurance apps and extensive questionnaires. Pharmacy associations also called for treatments, blood draws, laboratory tests and prescriptions to be carried out in pharmacies without the participation of doctors. This would create expensive parallel structures that would endanger patient safety without improving care.

The Free Medical Association called on the members of the Bundestag to reject the austerity law. Founded in 2004, the association primarily represents general practitioners and specialists in private practice and is committed to independent medicine with the focus on patients and doctors. The federal chairman is the Essen dermatologist Wieland Dietrich.

Read Also:

Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) calls for improvements to the GeDIG draft law – MedLabPortal

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.