On March 9, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health published the draft bill for the First Ordinance Amending the Digital Care Applications Ordinance (DiPAV). The draft implements changes required by the Act on the Extension of Powers and Reduction of Bureaucracy in Nursing Care (BEEP) and is intended to make it easier for DiPA to enter routine care.
The original DiPAV has governed the application and assessment procedure for the reimbursability of DiPA under statutory long-term care insurance since 2022. To date, not a single DiPA is listed in the directory of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, and only a few applications have been submitted so far.
The key contents of the draft bill (1st DiPAV amendment ordinance) are as follows:
- A trial procedure for DiPA will be introduced which, similar to the DiGA fast track, allows provisional inclusion on the basis of a plausible benefit and a scientific evaluation plan.
- In addition, the previous necessity assessment for supplementary support services by the BfArM will be dropped.
- The definition of care benefit will be broadened: in future, relief for family caregivers can also count as a sufficient benefit.
- Overall, the draft aims to make it easier for DiPA to enter routine care and to remove existing regulatory hurdles.
The draft bill is open for public comment and consultation until April 2, 2026 and can be viewed here: Digitale Pflegeanwendungen-Verordnung (DiPAV) | BMG