Overview
- Essen’s city council used an urgency decision to suspend patient fee notices from January 1, 2026, pausing the rollout after a public backlash.
- The city maintains its legal claim to the fees and will initially address invoices to statutory health insurers rather than patients.
- The core dispute centers on unpaid “Fehlfahrten” when no hospital transport occurs, which insurers say current law does not obligate them to fund, leaving municipalities with rising costs.
- NRW Health Minister Karl‑Josef Laumann is moderating talks for a transitional cost‑sharing agreement with insurers, with a target of Easter for a deal.
- Berlin is preparing an emergency‑care reform bill for cabinet consideration in Q1 2026, potentially before the summer recess, as civic groups in Essen proceed with planned protests.