Country Correspondent: Michael Laxy
The German Joint Federal Committee launched the Innovation Fund in 2015 to improve quality of care and promote innovation in the statutory health care system. With a budget of EUR 1.2 billion (USD 1.37 billion), it was created to support new care models and health systems research over four years. During its first two years, more than 200 projects involving collaborations between insurers and providers were funded. The majority of projects include university hospitals as partners. Projects include the Health Kiosk in Billsted/Horn, which aims to improve access to care for an urban population with a high chronic disease burden, and StimMT, which integrates care through a regional provider network and a coordination center. The fund was recently extended for an additional four years because it has exceeded initial expectations. The first evaluation results are expected in the next two years.
