A government plan to require patients to visit the general practitioner before seeing specialists.
The new German Health Minister, Nina Farken (from the CDU party), announced a plan to make significant changes to the healthcare system in Germany by introducing what is known as the 'Primary Care Physician System' (Primärarztsystem), which requires patients to visit a family doctor first before going to any specialist.
If the new system is implemented, all health insured individuals will have to consult a family doctor when feeling any health symptoms, as this doctor will determine whether there is a need to refer the patient to a specialist. He will also choose the appropriate doctor, which means the cancellation of the freedom to choose a specialist doctor as is currently practiced. Only the specialties of ophthalmology and gynecology will be exempt from this system.
The government aims to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of medical resource use with this change, as Minister Varken promised to provide "accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment" for each case. This system will also reduce unnecessary examinations and relieve pressure on specialist doctors, allowing patients to get appointments faster. If patients are unable to get an appointment within a specified time frame, they can then consult specialist doctors in hospitals.
The new system relies on clear steps: First, go to the family doctor when symptoms appear. Determine the need to visit a specialist by the family doctor. Choose the appropriate specialist by the family doctor. Set a time frame to get an appointment with the specialist. If an appointment is not available, the patient can visit a hospital.
Doctors' reactions to this change are mixed. Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association, considered that the new system would be an effective means of resource allocation and achieving fairness in the healthcare system. The Family Physicians Union also expressed optimism, confirming that general practitioners are qualified to handle a wide range of cases without the need for referrals.
However, the president of the Association of Legal Physicians, Andreas Jansen, expressed his concern about the generalization of the system, pointing out that it may be suitable for those over fifty, but not necessarily for healthy young people. He suggested instead enhancing self-contribution to better organize doctor visits.
The new system is expected to include exceptions for patients with chronic diseases, as there are considerations to grant them annual referrals or allow them to visit specialists directly without having to consult a family doctor each time, and perhaps internists will be used as primary care physicians in certain cases. The final details and timeline for implementing this system have not yet been determined, while discussions about it are currently ongoing at the doctors' conference in Leipzig, where Minister Varken is trying to convince doctors of the benefits of the new system.