The copayment for physiotherapy and other remedies (Heilmittel) is rising under the German Health Insurance Contribution Rate Stabilisation Act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz). Until now, a prescription for physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy costs you 10 percent of the cost plus 10 euros per prescription. According to the reprint of the Federal Law Gazette provided by the Paritätische Gesamtverband, the new wording of section 61 of Book V of the Social Code (SGB V) sets 10 percent plus 15 euros. This guide shows what changes in practice.
In short: For remedies such as physiotherapy you currently pay 10 percent of the cost plus 10 euros per prescription (section 61 SGB V). According to the reprint, the new wording provides for 10 percent plus 15 euros per prescription, so 5 euros more each time. The annual burden limit stays at 2 percent of gross income, or 1 percent for chronically ill people. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- Today, remedies carry a copayment of 10 percent of the cost plus 10 euros per prescription (section 61, sentence 3 SGB V, previous version).
- New: 10 percent of the cost plus 15 euros per prescription. The percentage stays the same, the fixed amount rises by 5 euros.
- According to the reprint provided by the Paritätische Gesamtverband, the act was published in the Federal Law Gazette on 29 July 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I No. 228). The official version in the Federal Law Gazette prevails. The article on entry into force sets the date from which the new amounts apply.
- The burden limit under section 62 SGB V caps all copayments in a calendar year at 2 percent of gross income, or 1 percent for chronically ill people.
- Once you reach the limit, your health insurer issues a certificate and you pay no further copayments for the rest of that calendar year.
What do you pay today for physiotherapy and other remedies?
Remedies are medically prescribed treatments such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or podiatric therapy. Statutory health insurance applies its own copayment rule to them. Under section 61, sentence 3 SGB V in its previous version, the copayment has two parts: 10 percent of the cost and 10 euros per prescription. You pay it to the practice that provides the treatment, which must give you a receipt.
Medicines work differently. There, the law applies a percentage of the retail price with a minimum and a maximum. For remedies, a fixed amount per prescription is added no matter how many appointments are on the prescription. For medicines, see our guide on pharmacy copayments (in German): Apothekenzuzahlung 2027.
What does the new law change for remedy copayments?
The act rewrites section 61 SGB V. According to the reprint in the Federal Law Gazette (issue of 29 July 2026), the rule for remedies, home nursing and intensive care outside hospitals at certain locations will read: 10 percent of the cost plus 15 euros per prescription. The Federal Ministry of Health describes the reform overall as a 50 percent increase in copayments. For the fixed amount per prescription, the step from 10 to 15 euros matches that factor exactly.
| Type of benefit | Copayment before | Copayment under the new wording |
|---|---|---|
| Remedies (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy) | 10 percent of cost plus 10 euros per prescription | 10 percent of cost plus 15 euros per prescription |
| Medicines | 10 percent of retail price, minimum 5, maximum 10 euros | 10 percent of retail price, minimum 7.50, maximum 15 euros |
| Inpatient care | 10 euros per calendar day | 15 euros per calendar day |
Section 32 SGB V, which governs the entitlement to remedies, is not rewritten in the reprinted text. What changes is the amount of the copayment under section 61. Entitlement, prescription and the remedies catalogue stay as they are. The date from which the new amounts apply is set by the act’s article on entry into force. Check the Federal Law Gazette or ask your insurer from which date the new wording applies to your prescription.
How does the higher fixed amount affect one prescription?
The arithmetic is simple because only the fixed amount changes. The table below uses an assumption for the total cost of a prescription. Real fees differ by region, treatment and practice, so the figures are only illustrative.
| Assumption: cost of the prescription | Copayment before | Copayment new | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 euros | 6 + 10 = 16 euros | 6 + 15 = 21 euros | 5 euros |
| 120 euros | 12 + 10 = 22 euros | 12 + 15 = 27 euros | 5 euros |
| 200 euros | 20 + 10 = 30 euros | 20 + 15 = 35 euros | 5 euros |
So the difference is 5 euros on every prescription. In relative terms it weighs more on cheaper prescriptions. With costs of 60 euros the copayment rises from 16 to 21 euros, about 31 percent more. At 200 euros the rise is about 17 percent.
How many prescriptions a year are realistic?
How much the change costs you over a year depends on the number of prescriptions, not on the number of individual appointments. One prescription can cover several treatments. A follow-up prescription is a new prescription and triggers the copayment again.
Assumption: after an injury you receive three prescriptions in a year, averaging 120 euros in cost. Before: 3 times 22 euros, so 66 euros. Under the new wording: 3 times 27 euros, so 81 euros. The difference is 15 euros a year. Long-term treatment, for example for a chronic condition, means more prescriptions and correspondingly higher amounts. That is what the burden limit is for.
Where is the burden limit and how does it help?
Under section 62 SGB V you pay copayments only up to the burden limit (Belastungsgrenze) in a calendar year. It is 2 percent of annual gross income for living expenses, or 1 percent for chronically ill people in ongoing treatment for the same serious illness. Once you reach it, your insurer issues a certificate of exemption. Copayments for remedies, medicines, hospital stays and aids all count together.
Assumption: your household has 15,000 euros of gross income a year. The limit at 2 percent is 300 euros. With a recognised chronic condition it would be 150 euros. For several people in one household, copayments and income are added together, with allowances for relatives and children reducing the income taken into account (section 62(2) SGB V).
This matters for students because gross income is often low and the limit can be reached quickly. How to apply for the exemption and what evidence to collect is covered in Zuzahlungsbefreiung beantragen (in German). The student-specific calculation is in Zuzahlungsbefreiung und Belastungsgrenze im Studium (in German).
How do you keep track of copayments?
- Get a receipt for every copayment. The practice must issue it without charging a fee (section 61 SGB V).
- Keep receipts and your own records in a list with date, treatment and amount.
- Ask your insurer whether it records copayments digitally, for example in its app.
- Check the running total against your burden limit regularly so you do not miss the point of exemption.
- Apply for the certificate as soon as you reach the limit. Insurers generally refund overpaid amounts on request.
Frequently asked questions
Has the physiotherapy copayment already gone up?
According to the reprint, the new wording of section 61 SGB V has been published in the Federal Law Gazette. The article on entry into force of the act sets the exact date from which the 15 euros per prescription apply. Until then, the previous rule of 10 euros per prescription applies.
Is the copayment charged per appointment or per prescription?
The fixed amount is charged per prescription, and the percentage depends on the cost of the prescribed service. Several appointments on the same prescription trigger the fixed amount only once.
Do remedy copayments count toward the burden limit?
Yes. All statutory copayments, for remedies, medicines, aids and hospital stays, count toward the limit under section 62 SGB V. Voluntary own contributions and services outside the insurance benefit do not count.
Do private health insurance premiums rise as well?
The copayment rules of section 61 SGB V apply to statutory health insurance. Privately insured people are covered by the terms of their tariff, such as deductibles or reimbursement rates, which are set in the insurance contract.
What to do now
- Check whether your prescription is for a remedy. Only then does the combination of percentage and fixed amount apply.
- Ask your insurer or the practice from which date the new 15 euros per prescription apply.
- Keep a list of all copayments for the year and hold on to receipts.
- Work out from your gross income where your burden limit lies and apply for the certificate in time.
- If you would like to review your cover as a whole, a personal consultation with Academycon is possible: How we work (in German).
Related guides
- Krankenkasse 2027: Was sich für Versicherte und Studierende ändert (in German)
- Zuzahlungen 2027: Was das GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz ändert (in German)
- Krankenhaus-Zuzahlung 2027 (in German)
- GKV-Reform 2026: Was das Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz regelt (in German)
- Zuzahlung bei Hilfsmitteln (in German)
Sources: Section 61 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de (previous version); Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 228, reprint of the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz (29 July 2026); Section 62 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de; Federal Ministry of Health, FAQ on the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
