video consultation

New Regulations for Video Consultations from 01.03.2025

Good news! Since March 1st, new telemedicine regulations have been in effect in Germany, agreed upon between the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the National Association of Health Insurance Funds.

Medical practices are expected to offer more video consultations where medically appropriate. Access will be made easier, and all patients - both those with statutory and private insurance - will be treated equally.

Important: New patients will not receive anesthetics and will undergo an assessment procedure for urgency evaluation.

From September 1st, prioritization will occur based on urgency, with medically urgent cases being given priority. Practices should primarily care for patients in close geographical proximity to strengthen the regional care structure and facilitate potential personal follow-up treatments.

The basis is the "Agreement on the Requirements for Securing the Quality of Care of Telemedicine Services according to § 87 Paragraph 2o SGB V", which was made between the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the National Association of Health Insurance Funds.

What Does the Video Consultation Mean for Medical Practices?

The video consultation has an interesting development history in Germany. Although the legal basis for telemedicine services was established in 2017 by the E-Health Act, initial use by doctors and patients was rather reserved. Skepticism towards digital forms of treatment was high, and many doctors preferred direct patient contact.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this changed abruptly. Contact restrictions led to a massive digitization boost in the healthcare sector. Suddenly, video consultations were not only accepted but considered an essential instrument for maintaining medical care. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) reported an increase from about 1,700 video consultations in the first quarter of 2019 to over 1.2 million in the second quarter of 2020.

The legal foundations for video consultations have been gradually expanded. In addition to the E-Health Act, the Digital Healthcare Act (DVG) of 2019 played an important role. It facilitated the billing of telemedicine services and created incentives for doctors to offer them. With the Digital Healthcare and Care Modernization Act (DVPMG) of 2021, further barriers were removed, and conditions were created for the permanent integration of telemedicine into standard care.

The video consultation is particularly popular among specialists in the fields of psychotherapy, neurology, and psychiatry. Here, personal contact plays an important role, although physical examinations are less often necessary. In dermatology, where visual diagnoses are essential, video consultations are also frequently used. General practitioners increasingly use the technology for follow-up appointments and monitoring chronic conditions.

The new regulations from March 2025 represent another milestone and demonstrate that the video consultation is now firmly embedded in the German healthcare system. The equal treatment of all patients and prioritization based on medical urgency address important aspects of equity in care, while emphasizing the regional care structure ensures continuity of treatment.

It is expected that video consultations will continue to gain importance in the coming years, supported by technological innovations and increasing digital competence among the population.