One of the most striking differences between medical cannabis policies in Germany compared to state-level medical cannabis programs in the United States is that, in some instances, medical cannabis can be covered by Germany’s statutory health insurance system (GKV). In the United States, all medical cannabis product purchases have to be paid for by the patient.

German medical cannabis patients also currently have the option to be a ‘self-payer’ and acquire their medical cannabis outside of the GKV system. In recent years, self-payer medical cannabis purchases have surged in Germany, saving the government a considerable amount of euros in the process.

With changes to the MedCanG being pursued that would negatively impact self-payer options, researchers at the IPE Institute for Policy Evaluation conducted an analysis to see what the potential economic fallout could be, with many German patients presumably considering transitioning to that nation’s statutory health insurance system if other options are eliminated.

“The study examines the financial consequences that the planned ban on telemedicine prescriptions and mail-order sales of medical cannabis would have on statutory health insurance (SHI). The draft legislation assumes cost neutrality; however, our analysis shows that billions of euros in savings for SHI are currently at stake, while at the same time patient access would be made more difficult.” stated the IPE Institute for Policy Evaluation (translated from German to English).

Below is more information that the Institute posted on LinkedIn:

“The study shows that savings for statutory health insurance (GKV) in the order of approximately €2.9 billion per year would be at stake if the draft bill is implemented. In addition to the quantified effects, the results point to non-monetized risks to healthcare provision, such as potential market shifts or additional burdens in the outpatient sector. Overall, the analysis suggests that the draft bill calls into question key economic benefits of the Medical Cantonal Health Act (MedCanG) and could weaken the structural relief achieved so far.” the Institute concluded.