The Prevention Act (PrävG), which came into force on July 25, 2015, aims to improve cooperation between social insurance providers, states, and municipalities in promoting health and prevention for people of all age groups. This initiative emphasizes prevention in everyday environments where people live, learn, and work—such as daycare centers, schools, workplaces, and nursing homes. The act also enhances early detection examinations and establishes key measures for vaccination protection.
The Prevention Act has succeeded in creating a uniform framework for health promotion and prevention for the statutory health insurance and other social insurances, which strengthens implementation at all levels (federal, state and local). In Germany, the 16 federal states are responsible for prevention. The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for policy-making at the federal level and for social insurance regulations.
Key points of the Prevention Act:
- Enhanced Cooperation Among Stakeholders: The act strengthens collaboration between statutory health insurance, pension insurance, accident insurance, social long-term care insurance, and private health insurance. A National Prevention Conference, with participation from federal, state, and municipal authorities, the Federal Employment Agency, patient interest groups, and social partners, sets common goals and strategies for prevention and health promotion.
- New Prevention Mandate for Long-term Care: Social long-term care insurance now has a specific mandate to promote health in care facilities, ensuring that people in inpatient care have access to health-promoting services.
- Improved Health and Early Detection Examinations: Health screenings for children, adolescents, and adults have been further developed with a focus on individual stressors and risk factors. Doctors can now provide preventive health recommendations, helping maintain and improve patient well-being.
- Significant Investment in Health Promotion: Over 500 million euros have been allocated to health-promoting services, particularly in living environments like daycare centers, schools, municipalities, companies, and nursing homes. These efforts are part of a coordinated national prevention strategy, with agreements on cooperation among social insurance institutions, federal states, and municipal associations.
- Increased Financial Support for Health Self-Help: Funding for health self-help has increased by around 30 million euros. Health insurance companies are legally required to allocate annual funding for self-help groups, organizations, and contact points. In 2019, for example, insurance providers contributed 1.13 euros per insured person toward these initiatives.
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