Overview
- Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann’s plan would expand 116 117 into a centralized first-contact platform that makes initial assessments binding and directs patients to the appropriate care setting.
- Digital tools are central, with AI-supported triage, automated appointment scheduling, and documentation flowing into the electronic patient record.
- Primary care practices are designated as coordinators, paired with workforce redesign, new physician assistant roles, payment reform, and bureaucracy reduction.
- Exemptions include chronic disease management, preventive checks, and specialties such as gynecology, pediatrics, and psychotherapy, while those paying privately could still access specialists directly.
- Stakeholders broadly support the direction but caution against blanket GP gatekeeping; the approach would require federal legislation, enforcement details remain contested, and everyday use is envisaged around 2028 if adopted nationally.