Doctor overwhelmed by paperwork in a complex healthcare system.

The End of the Beloved Practice Fee: What's Next for German Healthcare?

Lena Kashyap in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"As Germany scraps the unpopular practice fee, find out how healthcare providers are adapting to new regulations and bureaucratic challenges."

The Praxisgebühr, or practice fee, is no more, and celebrations are widespread. Patients are happy about unrestricted access to doctors, and practice teams are relieved to remove the 'GKV collection service' sign. General practitioners no longer feel like supermarket cashiers counting piles of ten-euro bills.

However, deep in a basement at Herbert-Lewin-Platz in Berlin, overtime is mounting. Here, under the coordination unit for recourse matters, resides the main department of bureaucracy. Dedicated employees feel their life's work threatened by the abolition of the practice fee and are bitter towards the Bundestag parties.

Since the decision, they have been working feverishly on new ideas to fill the time freed up in medical practices with pointless tasks. This article delves into the changes and adaptations in German healthcare following the end of the Praxisgebühr, exploring both the opportunities and the challenges.

The Rising Tide of Bureaucracy: New Challenges for Doctors

Doctor overwhelmed by paperwork in a complex healthcare system.

One well-developed idea is the mandatory annual photographing of all patients for new health insurance cards. This would bring practices a compensation of 25 floating points per patient. Additionally, central registries for sniffles and allergies are planned, as well as three new EBMs (Uniform Assessment Standards) in the next four years for the bureaucratic groundwork.

The abolition of the practice fee has led to a flurry of activity aimed at mitigating perceived losses, resulting in:

Mandatory annual photographing of all patients for new health insurance cards.
Creation of central registries for common ailments like sniffles and allergies.
Introduction of three new EBMs (Uniform Assessment Standards) within four years, increasing bureaucratic processes.

These measures, while intended to streamline and modernize the healthcare system, ironically add to the administrative burden on doctors and healthcare providers. The need to adapt to these changes is paramount, requiring practices to invest in new systems and training to efficiently manage the increased workload.

Navigating the Future of German Healthcare

The end of the Praxisgebühr marks a significant shift in the German healthcare landscape. While patients benefit from reduced costs and easier access to care, healthcare providers face new challenges in the form of increased bureaucracy and regulatory demands.

Embracing digital solutions, such as streamlined electronic health record systems and automated billing processes, can help alleviate some of the administrative burden. Investing in staff training and development is also crucial to ensure that practices can effectively navigate the evolving regulatory environment.

Ultimately, the success of the German healthcare system hinges on the ability of policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology innovators to work together to create a sustainable, efficient, and patient-centered model that balances accessibility with quality of care.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s15200-012-1101-6, Alternate LINK

Title: Ersatz Für Die Geliebte Praxisgebühr

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Der Hausarzt

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Chy

Published: 2012-12-01

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly was the Praxisgebühr in Germany, and why was it abolished?

The Praxisgebühr, also known as the practice fee, was a ten-euro fee that patients in Germany paid when visiting a doctor. It was abolished to improve access to healthcare, removing a financial barrier for patients. This change aims to make healthcare more accessible and equitable for everyone.

How does abolishing the Praxisgebühr impact the administrative work of doctors and healthcare providers?

With the abolition of the Praxisgebühr, healthcare providers now face increasing bureaucratic tasks. These include the proposed mandatory annual photographing of all patients for health insurance cards, the establishment of central registries for sniffles and allergies, and the introduction of three new EBMs (Uniform Assessment Standards) in the coming years. These measures add administrative burden, requiring practices to adapt to new systems and training.

What specific measures are being introduced to offset any financial impact from getting rid of the Praxisgebühr?

To compensate for the perceived losses from abolishing the Praxisgebühr, new measures are being introduced. For example, practices would receive 25 floating points per patient for the mandatory annual photographing of patients. The introduction of new EBMs (Uniform Assessment Standards) also suggests additional avenues for revenue, though these come with increased administrative work.

What is the purpose of creating central registries for things like sniffles and allergies, and what are the potential implications?

The proposed central registries for common ailments like sniffles and allergies aim to modernize and streamline healthcare data. However, they raise concerns about data privacy, security, and the administrative burden on healthcare providers who will be responsible for maintaining and updating these registries. The effectiveness of these registries in improving patient care remains to be seen.

What does the abolition of the Praxisgebühr and the introduction of new bureaucratic measures tell us about the future of German healthcare?

The end of the Praxisgebühr signifies a move towards more accessible healthcare but also highlights the ongoing struggle to balance patient access with the administrative and financial burdens on healthcare providers. The introduction of mandatory annual photographing of patients, central registries, and new EBMs (Uniform Assessment Standards) reflects an attempt to modernize the system, but their impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of German healthcare will depend on how well these changes are implemented and managed.