Review of HCHE Research Results Live eventPanel discussion on the topic: The meaning of supplementary medical services for insurers, practices and patients

7 November 2025, by Hannes Rathjen

Supplementary healthcare services are a much-discussed topic. For many patients, these services are becoming increasingly important in Germany, both in their medical treatment and when choosing a health insurance provider. But what factors actually determine the decision for or against supplementary services – is it primarily price, quality, or perceived added value? These very questions were the focus of our recent HCHE Research Results Live event.

On November 6, 2025, we presented new research findings to over 100 participants from the german healthcare sector, accompanied by important insights from our guests Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, and Andreas Storm, CEO of DAK-Gesundheit. Our research shows that switching health insurance providers is primarily motivated by the contribution rate, but at the same time, the quality and variety of the supplementary services offered should not be underestimated. A more nuanced picture emerges among physicians: While doctors do not systematically improve their services when patients purchase additional services, it can be observed that their commitment decreases as soon as such services are explicitly declined. These results highlight the delicate interplay between price, quality, and behavior in the German healthcare system.

In her presentation, Prof. Dr. Petra Steinorth emphasized that differences in the services offered by statutory health insurance funds exist simultaneously and influence each other. Prof. Dr. Johanna Kokot presented findings from an experiment demonstrating how both physicians and patients adapt their behavior to the availability of supplementary services. The panelists agreed that, in the competition among health insurance funds, price continues to carry more weight than quality.

Impressions from our event, Research Results Live 2025, and further information can be found here.