The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung has called for a fundamental reform of how drug prices are handled to stop doctors from being punished for prescribing costly new treatments. In a statement issued on 2 October 2025, titled ‘Steiner: Doctors are not responsible for the negotiated price’ (Steiner: Ärzte verantworten nicht den verhandelten Preis), the group argued that the financial risk of high-cost drugs must be separated from individual practice budgets.
Dr Stephan Steiner, Member of the Board of the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, said that while doctors pick the best treatment for a patient, they do not set the prices. These are agreed between firms and the Spitzenverband Bund der Krankenkassen (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds). At present, doctors often face audits if their total medicine costs go over set limits. This creates a barrier to the use of new, expensive medicines.
In the past, this system has forced a choice between medical progress and financial safety. To fix this, the KBV suggests a 'cost-neutral' system for doctors. This would mean that when checking if a doctor is working efficiently, only a standard price would be used rather than the high price of a new drug. The health insurance system would then cover the extra cost of innovation.
The plan would change how medicines are used by removing the fear of being fined. Doctors would be free to make choices based only on patient needs and clinical data. This would speed up the use of new treatments in Germany and ensure that patients benefit from medical advances as soon as they are available.
Source: Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV)
Link: Steiner: Doctors are not responsible for the negotiated price
Date: 2 October 2025