In the debate over online doctor‑prescribed sick notes driven by profit, coalition health ministers backed the primary‑care doctors’ call for tighter regulations.
Health spokeswoman for the Union, Simone Borchardt (CDU), told the “Rheinische Post” on Thursday that telephone or video‑based sick notes should only be issued when the patient is a known client of the doctor-i.e., for regular patients. “This would allow us to curb the abuse that has especially increased through anonymous online platforms, without cutting essential care” she added.
SPD parliamentary health spokesman Christos Pantazis likewise denounced private platforms that issue incapacity certificates without adequate medical review or a solid doctor‑patient relationship. “These models erode trust in the incapacity certificate and are incompatible with high‑quality medical care” he said, calling for decisive sanctions against such “black sheep”. He clarified that “sick notes issued through medically responsible phone consultations or qualified video appointments remain explicitly exempt”.
Prior to these statements, the national primary‑care association had pushed for stricter rules on online sick notes. Chairman Markus Beier told the “Rheinische Post” that “the federal government must finally clamp down on commercial online sick‑note providers”. Former health minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also expressed support for the initiative.
