Around one third of people covered by Germany’s statutory health insurance are dissatisfied with how long they have to wait for an appointment with a specialist. According to a survey published on Monday by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband), 30% of insured patients rate waiting times for specialist care as “too long” or “much too long.”
The survey found that one in four statutory health insurance patients waits more than a month for a specialist appointment, while one in ten has to wait over three months.
Patients are more positive about access to general practitioners. 51% said waiting times at their family doctor’s practice were “exactly in line with my wishes,” 35% described them as “still acceptable,” and 14% said they were dissatisfied. According to the survey, 25% of patients wait more than three days for a GP appointment, while another quarter visit their family doctor’s practice directly without an appointment.
The representative survey was conducted nationwide among 3,520 statutory health insurance members aged 18 to 80, and carried out by the Mannheim-based market research firm Management Consult Dr. Eisele & Dr. Noll.
The study also shows growing importance being attached to booking medical appointments online or via apps. Half of respondents said this option was “very important” or “important,” compared with just 31% in 2022. However, most patients still arrange appointments in person or by phone, 59% for GPs and 65% for specialists.
In response to the findings, the GKV-Spitzenverband called for the introduction of a day-to-day online appointment booking portal. All medical practices should be required to make a fixed share of appointments available through the system. It should also no longer be permitted to ask “whether someone is publicly or privately insured,” said the association’s deputy chair, Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis.
Eugen Brysch, a board member of the Patient Protection Foundation, pointed to the difficulty many outpatient practices have in being reached. He said practices should not only be accessible via online portals but also by email, fax, and telephone for 25 hours per week, stressing the need to consider older patients who do not have digital access.
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