Germany

On July 10, 2026, the German Bundestag passed the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) Contribution Rate Stabilization Act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz). During the parliamentary process, additional fiscal measures were incorporated into the legislation after it was approved by the Federal Cabinet to close the funding gap that had widened in the interim.

On July 15, 2026, the German Federal Cabinet adopted the draft Health Data and Digital Innovation Act (GeDIG). The legislation aims to further integrate the benefits of digitalization into healthcare for both insured individuals and healthcare providers, while expanding opportunities to use health data for research, innovation, and care delivery.

On July 1, 2026, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the third quarter of 2026 came into force. The EBM catalog is used to reimburse day case and outpatient services under the fee-for-service model. The main changes introduced concern updates of the contents (service legends, preambles of several EBM subchapters) and the introduction of several new EBM codes.

On June 11, 2026, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) announced a number of changes to the reimbursement of human genetics tests to be introduced as of October 1, 2026. The package of changes includes, among other measures, a reduction in the reimbursement values for human genetic services and the introduction of additional volume-based reimbursement reductions at the practice level. These measures are intended to reduce expenditure on human genetic tests by 31%.

On June 9, 2026, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that forty-five applications for innovation funding of healthcare research projects were accepted.

On June 12, 2026, the Bundestag held its first reading of the planned financial reform of the statutory health insurance system (GKV). The German Federal Government has proposed a comprehensive reform package to address the severe financial deficit in the GKV.

On May 22, 2026, the Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer of several other completed projects on new forms of care and healthcare research to standard care.

On April 17, 2026, the Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced the opening of the application period for proposed topics for upcoming funding announcements in the areas of healthcare services research and new forms of care.

On April 1, 2026, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the second quarter of 2026 came into force. The EBM catalog is used to reimburse day case and outpatient services under the fee-for-service model. The key changes include the introduction of new EBM codes for the reimbursement of lung cancer screening, monitoring progress, and evaluating the digital health application, as well as several IVD tests

On March 6, 2026, the German Bundestag adopted amendments to the hospital reform. The core objectives of the reform remain unchanged: consolidating services, increasing specialization, and thereby improving the quality of healthcare delivery. The adjustments primarily aim to ensure the practical implementation of the measures, with a particular focus on maintaining inpatient care, especially standard and emergency care, in rural areas.

On February 11, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health (BGM) presented the further development of the Digitalization Strategy for Health and Nursing Care. The objectives are to integrate digital innovations more strongly into routine care, to systematically generate and use high-quality health data, and to enhance digital care coordination.

In Germany, digital health applications (DiGAs) that can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and reimbursed by statutory health insurers are listed in the Directory of Digital Health Applications maintained by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). As of February 23, 2026, a total of 61 apps are available in the Directory and thus eligible for reimbursement.