Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Germany's Federal Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) has confirmed support for a cross-sector reform of acute and emergency care, while pushing for amendments before the bill clears parliament.
Reinhardt calls for unified triage system across Germany
Association president Dr. Klaus Reinhardt told the Bundestag Health Committee ahead of a hearing on the draft law that the reform must introduce "genuine care management" needed across other healthcare sectors too. He said a nationwide, standardized initial assessment system is required to ensure patients are directed reliably through the system, with responsibility resting with physician self-governance bodies.
Association demands legal backing for emergency dispatch catalog
The Bundesärztekammer's written position calls for uniform standards in emergency call handling, urging that the Emergency Physician Indication Catalog -- developed by the association's Scientific Advisory Board -- be legally anchored as the technical basis for standardized, software-supported emergency call triage.
Plan for 750 integrated emergency centers draws scrutiny
The association criticized proposed mandatory round-the-clock telemedicine and outreach services in outpatient emergency care, arguing that limited staff resources make such offerings viable only where genuine, objective demand exists. It also flagged unresolved questions around the roughly 750 planned Integrated Emergency Centers (INZ), including what role hospitals without an INZ designation will play and how accessibility of emergency care will be guaranteed nationwide.
Reinhardt said the draft law still requires changes and that physician self-governance bodies must be bindingly integrated into the decision-making and steering committees overseeing implementation.