In 2024, people with statutory health insurance had to wait longer for an appointment with a specialist than a few years prior. This comes from responses by the Federal Ministry of Health to a formal inquiry submitted by the Left Party, which were made available to the Rheinische Post (Wednesday edition). According to an insured persons’ survey cited by the federal government, the average waiting time in 2024 was 42 days. By comparison, in 2019 it was 33 days.
The figures refer to those covered by the statutory health insurance system (GKV) who waited at least one day for specialist appointments. At the same time, annual GKV expenditures for open consultation hours at medical practices rose sharply. The extrabudgetary remuneration for services provided during open consultation hours increased to around 814 million euros in 2023. By comparison, in 2022 it was 547 million euros, and in 2020 roughly 291 million euros.
The background is that certain physicians are required to offer at least five hours per week of open consultation hours without prior appointment. For this, they receive additional payments in the form of extrabudgetary remuneration, which is intended to improve access to medical care for GKV-insured patients.
The regulations aimed at improving care and accelerating appointments are “a total failure,” said Left Party Bundestag member Julia-Christina Stange, spokesperson for outpatient care, to the Rheinische Post. “They cost those with statutory insurance more money for worse performance,” Stange said. “But instead of finally taking action and examining how care is actually developing, the government firmly shuts its eyes.”
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