Overview
- KBV chief Andreas Gassen wants to end mandatory notes for the first three days of illness, including parents’ child‑care attestations, arguing the rule generates millions of needless appointments.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports abolishing telephone-based sick notes as employer groups warn looser rules could be a free pass for abuse.
- Companies such as Docuware and local retailers report no increase in absenteeism under phone certification and describe the approach as practical for short illnesses.
- The German General Practitioners' Association cites statutory insurer analyses showing no evidence that telephone attestations have increased misuse.
- Family doctors say remote certification cuts waiting-room infections and eases workloads, while cautioning that serious conditions can be overlooked without in-person exams.