Berlin, 25 June 2025
The Capital City Congress on Medicine and Health (HSK) is the central meeting of the healthcare industry in Germany, where numerous current healthcare policy issues are discussed.
The three-day congress, which is expected to attract around 5,000 participants from all areas of the healthcare industry, science and politics, opened today.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken, emphasised in her speech that there was ‘no more time to lose’ with regard to the upcoming healthcare reforms, stressing that the needs of patients and the healthcare sector should be given special attention during the reform process.
This, she noted could be linked with the planned introduction of a primary doctor system, adding that the planned financing of the hospital transformation fund was merely ‘transitional financing’.
“We will listen carefully to what those involved have to say, where they see risks and opportunities. Because listening carefully and seeking dialogue is something that I have the impression has not been a matter of course in recent years. But I would like to act accordingly,” said the Minister.
The topic of finances in statutory health insurance (SHI) and long-term care insurance is also at the top of Nina Warken’s agenda.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken/Photo Credit: HSK
Health minister Warken considers the pro rata financing of the hospital transformation fund from the ‘special infrastructure fund’ to be ‘appropriate’, adding that it was the task for society as a whole that cannot be imposed on the contributors alone.
In addition, this will reduce the burden on statutory health insurance (SHI) by 2.5 billion euros annually over the next ten years from 2026, and she described this as an important step.
“We will have to see whether it is enough. We can alleviate the financial pressure somewhat in the short term, but we won’t be able to solve it. This is transitional financing. They build a bridge until sustainable financing models and effective structural reforms can take effect,” explained Warken.
The Minister of Health wants to tackle the structural financing problems in SHI and nursing care immediately. ‘Our goal is to find a balance between income and expenditure,’ said Warken.
With regard to statutory health insurance, the minister referred to an expert commission which, according to the coalition agreement, is working on proposals for stabilising contribution rates by 2027.
“But that is clearly too late for me. We need results much sooner. I have also given this clear mandate to the commission. The federal-state working group on long-term care insurance will meet at the beginning of July and the results should be available by the end of this year,” said minister Warken.
Structural reforms are important in two respects. They would increase efficiency and reduce costs at the same time. ‘Our goal is to provide good, needs-based and affordable healthcare and nursing care for everyone, across the board in both urban and rural areas, regardless of postcode,’ explained Warken.
Introduction of primary doctor system: transformation process will take time
With regard to the introduction of a primary doctor system, which is provided for in the coalition agreement, Minister Warken emphasised that she also wanted to tackle this quickly. ‘But of course, contrary to what has been suggested in the public debate, this will require a transformation process.’ Therefore, this is also a longer-term measure.
Participants at the Capital City Congress/Photo Credit: HSK
However, she sees double potential in the measure. Costs could be saved, for example by avoiding duplicate and multiple examinations or through faster treatment in the relevant specialist practice. At the same time, the quality of care and thus also patient satisfaction would be improved. ‘In order not to jeopardise these goals, we will proceed very carefully with this highly complex project and coordinate the draft law well,’ said Warken, referring to close coordination with all parties involved.
Wolfgang van den Bergh, Scientific Director of the Capital City Forum on Health Policy at the Capital City Congress Medicine & Health, was delighted with the new management style in the Ministry of Health: ‘The Minister of Health has sent a clear signal to the industry to involve it closely in the upcoming reform projects and to give the healthcare industry the status of a leading economy,’ says van den Bergh.
First Partner country at the Capital City Congress
Austria is the first Partner country at this year’s Congress. In her address at the Congress, Dr Katharina Reich from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection pointed out that Germany and Austria are facing similar challenges in the healthcare sector.
Dr Katharina Reich, Director General for Public Health and Head of the Public Health and Health System Section at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection/Photo Credit: C.Musah/AfricaNewsAnalysis
She pointed out that in Austria, the aim was to completely rethink structures. Since 2013, the Austrian federal government, federal states and social insurance have been contractually defining common goals for the healthcare system.
For the current contract, she adds, the motto is: ‘digital before outpatient before inpatient’.
Around 90 panel discussions and lectures are on the programme at the Capital City Congress 2025. There will also be other special formats, such as 11 satellite symposia, 42 events in the exhibition forum, 6 start-up speaker slots and 3 sessions at the Ethical Café.
A special highlight on the third day of the congress will be the presentation of the Innovation Award by HSK organiser WISO Consulting together with Springer Medizin Verlag.
This year’s prize honours interdisciplinary or interprofessional teams with successful projects that have proven themselves in daily practice for at least three years and are firmly established in everyday clinical practice.
Three finalists will present their projects live – the audience will decide on the winners via online voting. A total of around 450 high-calibre speakers will take part in HSK 2025, and around 5,000 congress visitors are also expected.