Germany's Digital Health Act Aims to Overhaul Healthcare Digitisation by 2026
Germany's healthcare digitisation is facing major reforms in early 2026. Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has announced a new Digital Health Act to strengthen gematik, the body overseeing digital standards in the sector. The move comes as insurers, doctors, and care providers push for changes to improve efficiency and funding in digital healthcare systems.
At the centre of the debate is gematik, founded in 2005, which now plays a key role in managing the electronic patient record (ePA) and e-prescriptions. But calls are growing for a structural overhaul to address funding gaps and unclear governance.
The proposed Digital Health Act aims to make the ePA more user-friendly and boost the resilience of the telematics infrastructure (TI). Recent outages have disrupted practice workflows, leaving physicians frustrated. While doctors have reacted with cautious optimism, they warn that unreliable systems continue to slow down daily operations.
Health insurers like DAK, BARMER, and AOK are demanding a transformation of gematik into a modern agency. Currently, 93% of its funding comes from insurees, with the Federal Health Ministry (BMG) holding a majority stake. Critics argue this setup lacks transparency and fairness. The AOK has suggested giving the statutory health insurance association (GKV) a larger share in gematik or stronger voting rights in decisions.
The AOK also supports expanding ePA functions and simplifying authentication. Meanwhile, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) wants an independent 'electronic care folder' separate from the ePA. This would ensure patient data remains accessible even if the ePA is not used.
Long-term care providers feel sidelined in the reforms. They are calling for practical digital tools and stable funding to reduce paperwork and improve patient care. The AOK has additionally backed better access to policyholder data for care management, including through the Health Research Data Center (FDZ).
The draft law marks a step toward modernising Germany's digital healthcare infrastructure. If passed, it would reshape gematik, improve ePA usability, and address long-standing funding issues. The success of these changes will depend on balancing the needs of insurers, doctors, and care providers while ensuring reliable systems for daily medical practice.
