Germany is the largest economy in Europe, with a powerful healthcare system and very good medical services for people of all ages and demographics. The German digital healthcare market has experienced an enormous upswing in the last years. The push by former Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) to include medical apps in statutory health insurance has opened up new opportunities for developers of digital therapies, diagnostic and monitoring solutions or patient care technologies, among others. More and more apps are entering the approval process from the Federal Ministry of Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) in order to be recognized as a medical device available for prescription.
At the same time, Germany has an important tradition in the field of medical technology. There is a vibrant environment for research and innovation which attracts investors. Companies like Siemens, B. Braun or Storz originate in Germany. Younger innovative companies such as Brainlab, which is changing the world of surgery with visualisation techniques, are based here as well.
This dynamic market also offers a lot of potential for companies from abroad. Because the market is fragmented and strongly influenced by a dense network of many different players, those who want to gain a foothold here need experts at their side who know the business inside out.
Once you are a certified Digital Applikation (DiGA), your services are automatically covered by all public health insurances and you have a working business model with real revenue.
We are tech and healthcare experts with Senior PR expertise. And we are passionate for e-health. We can assist you in not only defining your local story and starting to raise awareness for your products and brand, but also in assessing the market, help meet the right people and paving the way for your local team.
The Medical Network (TMN) is a communications consultancy specialising in the e-health industry in Germany. As one of the first and only agencies in Germany, TMN focuses on companies who offer products and services for digital, innovative healthcare. TMN’s service portfolio focuses on the conception and implementation of effective PR strategies, for example, for entering the German healthcare market, addressing investors or a product launch.
We have provided communications support for the market entry of several international companies in Germany. This is what our clients say:
Founder, CEO and former nurse
Unit-Lead, Senior PR-Consultant and Corporate PR Expert
The German healthcare system is financed on the principle of solidarity. More than 100 statutory and private health insurances are funded by contributions or premiums from their members and employers. Everyone registered or resident in Germany is required to take out health insurance. In 2020 the spending for healthcare were estimated at 425,1 billion Euros. Thismeans: more than one in ten euros in Germany’s GDP is spent on healthcare.
The healthcare system is complex: 1.900 hospitals, 150.000 doctors, 19.500 pharmacies and 28.000 psychotherapists. nearly each one of them is a business of their own, as they are not run by the state or the federal government. These players offer medical care to Germany’s population of around 83 Mio. people. In addition to these healthcare providers, companies are also able to close deals with every single health insurance with regard to a cooperation.
Since 2019, Germany has been reshaping its regulatory digital health strategy. New laws redefine business models for e-health companies, pave the way for digitization of hospitals, track health-related data or the reimbursement of digital health applications. Examples are the so called Digitale-Versorung-Gesetz (DVG) and the Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz (KHZG).
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30 percent of people in Germany go to the doctor three to five times a year. Care providers charge the cost of treatment and medications directly to the health insurance, in the case of the patient being covered by public health insurance. The long history of this “free treatment” leads to a very unique mentality: Patients in Germany expect high quality medical care to be covered by the insurances and are not willing to pay extra.