Berlin – October 30, 2026 -- All 34 digital health application (DiGA) companies surveyed by Bitkom report a worsening situation for manufacturers over the past two years, and 82% describe the deterioration as severe. Industry association Pharma Deutschland cited the findings in calling for reliable reimbursement and less bureaucracy for digital therapies.
Three in four manufacturers rate DiGA reimbursement as inadequate
74% of respondents consider current remuneration not or rather not appropriate relative to development, operating, evidence and approval effort. 85% see high development and approval costs as a drawback for economic viability, and 76% rate investment security as low.
Germany still scores well on approval and reimbursement internationally
86% of the companies rate Germany as rather or very good for DiGA approval and reimbursement in an international comparison. Pharma Deutschland calls the gap between that rating and the reported decline a warning signal for the further development of digital care.
Dorothee Brakmann, Pharma Deutschland's managing director, argued that Germany's high requirements on evidence, data protection and security must be matched by conditions allowing firms to meet them permanently.
Uncertainty over study designs hits 79% of firms
79% name uncertainty about accepted study designs as a challenge in proving benefit. Pharma Deutschland wants study requirements clarified early and reliably so companies can plan investments in evidence, security and product development over the long term.
The association also opposes equating usage duration and frequency with treatment success in isolation. It says success-measurement rules must reflect different conditions and therapy concepts, and that additional data collection must add recognizable value to care assessment.
All respondents want fully digital prescriptions, 94% call them very important
Every surveyed company considers a fully digital prescription without media breaks important. Pharma Deutschland is demanding practical prescription and redemption processes that avoid unnecessary technical or administrative hurdles for patients.
DiGA are medical devices that undergo review by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) before entering the DiGA directory.