Reduced services and thus longer hospital stays, an increased need for care, and longer periods of sick leave would be the consequence of the cuts – with considerable additional costs for social security, says WvD. (Photo: © waelkhalil/123RF.com)
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June 2026
WvD is calling for the cancellation of the planned across-the-board reduction in reimbursements for assistive devices. The cost-cutting measure threatens to increase social security expenditures in the long term.
On the occasion of the first reading of the Statutory Health Insurance Contribution Rate Stabilization Act in Bundestag demands "We supply Germany" (WvD), to which the Federal Guild Association for Orthopedic Technology This includes the elimination of the across-the-board three percent reduction in benefits for assistive devices. The reduction, proposed in the reform of statutory health insurance (GKV), jeopardizes the local care of millions of patients and threatens to backfire in the long run.
"Reduced services and thus longer hospital stays, an increased need for care, and longer periods of sick leave will be the result – with considerable additional costs for social security," said WvD. The precise implementation is particularly problematic. The three percent discount is to be applied by the health insurance funds to the entire invoice amount. However, this includes not only the actual care service, but also materials purchased by the company, prefabricated components, and services provided by third parties.
For technically demanding procedures, material costs can represent a large portion of the bill, reaching six-figure sums. "The planned reduction will then lead directly to significant losses in the overall calculation, which the companies cannot offset in any other way." Many service providers already operate with small margins of between three and seven percent. "A flat-rate deduction of three percent can therefore consume a considerable portion of the operating profit and thus directly impact the economic core of the service."
For businesses with particularly low profit margins, a meager profit can quickly turn into a loss. The consequence: planned investments in healthcare services, recruitment of skilled workers, and digitalization would be hampered or even completely prevented. In some cases, this would trigger existential problems. This negative development for businesses would primarily affect patients – especially those with high care needs. Delays in care, longer hospital stays, increased need for nursing care, and poorer rehabilitation would be the result.
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"These short-term savings threaten to lead to high long-term costs for health and long-term care insurance. Anyone who wants to guarantee security of supply must not weaken the companies that ensure this supply on a daily basis," explain WvD General Secretaries Kirsten Abel and Dr. Henning Schweer. "The planned cut particularly jeopardizes the supply of care in rural areas and for people with disabilities, children, those requiring care, and the chronically ill." WvD therefore appeals to the members of the Bundestag to remove the cut from the draft legislation.
Source: WvD
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