Greens Move to Eliminate Homeopathy Coverage in German Health Insurance
Berlin, Germany – November 29, 2025 – Alliance 90/The Greens are pushing to remove homeopathy from the catalogue of benefits covered by German statutory health insurance, marking a firm stance against the practice and signaling a potential shift in healthcare policy. The party argues that funding for homeopathic treatments represents a misallocation of resources that could be better utilized for evidence-based medical care.
this move comes amid ongoing debates surrounding healthcare reform and cost containment within Germany’s multi-payer system. While homeopathy remains popular with some segments of the population, its efficacy has been repeatedly questioned by the scientific community. eliminating coverage would impact an estimated 3 million patients annually who currently utilize homeopathic remedies, and potentially save the health insurance funds millions of euros. The Greens’ proposal is expected to face resistance from conservative and liberal parties who have historically supported patient choice in alternative medicine.
The debate over homeopathy’s place in the German healthcare system isn’t new. For decades, health insurance providers have been legally obligated to cover homeopathic treatments, despite a lack of conclusive scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness. Critics argue this obligation represents an outdated policy rooted in historical precedent rather than medical necessity.
Christian Karagiannidis, head of the German Society for Hospital Medicine, recently voiced concerns about the financial strain of offering benefits for unproven treatments, stating, “you would literally see the poverty on people’s faces” if resources continued to be diverted to ineffective therapies.This sentiment underscores the Greens’ rationale for prioritizing evidence-based care and ensuring the sustainability of the public health insurance system.
The proposal is currently under discussion as part of broader healthcare reform efforts,including considerations around introducing or increasing cost-sharing measures like deductibles and tiered benefit structures within the basic health insurance tariff. Tino Sorge, a leading figure in healthcare policy, has emphasized that those seeking more thorough coverage should expect to contribute more financially, a principle that aligns with the Greens’ push for responsible resource allocation.
