GKV leader calls for doctor appointments to be allocated by medical need

Oliver Blatt, chair of the GKV-Spitzenverband, said statutory health-insured patients should receive doctor appointments based on medical necessity, not insurance type. He highlighted that many insured individuals face longer waiting times, describing the situation as a serious injustice. The association previously suggested a daily platform where practices allocate a set proportion of appointments, removing the question of insurance status.

Blatt emphasized that while physicians can still see private patients, they must not be automatically favored. He rejected the notion of a two-tier medical system, noting that most doctors treat public and private patients similarly. The debate follows comments from Chancellor Friedrich Merz about perceived inequities and calls from Techniker Krankenkasse chief Jens Baas for a unified health-insurance model.