Current articles on Medical and social law

More and more doctors are using social media platforms to share medical content and highlight their areas of expertise. This digital presence resonates with the public’s keen interest and need for information—and doctors’ voices, in particular, are held in high regard. At the same time, so-called “medfluencers” navigate the fine line between reputable health education and legally regulated areas, such as advertising for services and products.

Reimbursement negotiations between healthcare providers and health insurance plans are facing new challenges. With the Contribution Rate Stabilization Act, introduced as part of the statutory health insurance (GKV) cost-saving package, the scope for reimbursement increases will be severely limited in the future. In particular, linking reimbursement trends to the increase in the total base wage (GLS) means that the growth in insured individuals’ income subject to contributions is increasingly acting as a cap on cost increases.

Digital platforms in the healthcare sector—from appointment portals and telemedicine providers to laboratory and medication platforms—promise efficiency and better access to care. At the same time, platform operators operate in a particularly legally sensitive environment: In addition to general civil and data protection laws, they are subject to specific statutory requirements, professional regulations, criminal law, and competition law. For operators, this means that when designing their business model, they must be mindful of various pitfalls that can result not only in cease-and-desist letters but, in some cases, also in criminal prosecution.

With the Act on the Further Development of Pharmacy Services (ApoVWG), lawmakers are planning one of the most comprehensive reforms of the pharmacy sector in recent years. The goal is to ensure the supply of medicines, particularly in structurally weak regions, and to integrate pharmacies more closely into outpatient healthcare. To this end, pharmacists are to be granted additional competencies in the future that were previously reserved primarily for the medical profession. The planned changes are therefore being discussed not only as an opportunity for improved care but also as a potential encroachment on existing jurisdictional boundaries.

On October 1, 2025, the Federal Cabinet approved a draft bill to expedite the recognition process for foreign professional qualifications in the healthcare sector. This is currently a draft bill that is still undergoing the parliamentary process. Changes are therefore possible as the legislative process continues. The draft responds to the ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector. In addition to expanding domestic training capacities, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications is to be made more efficient, transparent, and faster in order to enable qualified professionals to enter the German labor market more quickly. Nevertheless, the draft bill has drawn criticism. In particular, nursing professions have not yet been addressed, even though there is a significant shortage of skilled workers in this sector.

Mit der fortschreitenden Digitalisierung des Gesundheitswesens gewinnen telemedizinische Plattformen, elektronische Rezepte und der Versand von Arzneimitteln fortlaufend an Bedeutung. Immer häufiger entstehen sogenannte hybride Versorgungsmodelle, bei denen Plattformbetreiber, Ärzte und Apotheken kooperieren, um Patienten einen schnellen, ortsunabhängigen Zugang zu medizinischer Versorgung zu ermöglichen. Dieses Zusammenspiel verspricht zwar viele Vorteile, bringt aber rechtliche Risiken mit sich, insbesondere dort, wo wirtschaftliche Interessen auf patientenbezogene Schutzvorschriften treffen. Im Zentrum steht dabei auch die Frage, inwiefern die freie Apothekenwahl des Patienten gewahrt bleibt und ob Absprachen zwischen Plattformbetreibern und Apotheken zulässig sind.

Seit dem 1. April 2022 ist die Videotherapie fester Bestandteil der Regelversorgung in der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV). Nach dem Auslaufen der pandemiebedingten Corona-Sonderregelung Ende März 2022 haben der GKV-Spitzenverband und die maßgeblichen Physiotherapieverbände eine dauerhafte Regelung in den GKV-Rahmenvertrag Physiotherapie integriert.

Bereits bisher waren Krankenhäuser berechtigt, im begrenzten Umfang ambulante Leistungen zu erbringen, beispielsweise als vor- und nachstationäre Leistungen, im Rahmen von psychiatrische oder geriatrische Institutsambulanzen oder als ambulantes Operieren im Krankenhaus.

Mit dem In-Kraft-Treten der Krankenhaustransformationsfonds-Verordnung (KHTFV) zum 18.04.2025 ist eine weitere, wesentliche Etappe auf dem Weg zur Transformation der Krankenhauslandschaft erreicht. Dabei geht es um sehr viel Geld: 50 Mrd. EUR stehen als Fördersumme für die nächsten zehn Jahre im Raum.

Am 4. April 2025 lud die BioRegio STERN Management GmbH gemeinsam mit VOELKER & Partner Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater mbB zu einem interaktiven Seminar nach Stuttgart ein.