Foundation for Independent Patient Counselling Germany

The Foundation for Independent Patient Counselling Germany (German: Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland, or Stiftung UPD) is a German foundation dedicated to advising patients on health and healthcare-law matters. Its counselling is offered free of charge and, where needed, anonymously, and it does not distinguish between people with statutory health insurance, private health insurance, or no health insurance at all. The organisation traces its roots to a model project (Modellvorhaben) operated under § 65b of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V) from 1 January 2000, which was intended to build an advisory and information service independent of both health insurers and care providers. The service was initially run as a model project and became a regular statutory benefit on 1 January 2011 following reform through the Arzneimittelmarktneuordnungsgesetz (AMNOG). It was financed by the GKV-Spitzenverband through a levy on the contributions of statutory health-insurance members, with roughly €5.2 million per year available for its operation since 2000. From 1 January 2016 until its re-establishment as a foundation, the health-service provider Sanvartis took over counselling for both statutory and private patients, a move that drew criticism over potential conflicts of interest. On 1 January 2024 the UPD was converted into a legally capable foundation under civil law (rechtsfähige Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts), carried and financed by the Spitzenverband Bund der Krankenkassen, and renamed Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland. The enabling law was promulgated in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 15 May 2023. Dr. Stefan Etgeton and Bettina Godschalk served as the founding board. Sven Arndt began work as the first of two regular board members on 1 May 2024, followed by Dr. Katharina Graffmann-Weschke as the second board member on 1 July 2024. The counselling service restarted on 6 May 2024, initially by telephone only. In December 2024 the UPD moved to new premises in Berlin-Schöneberg, where it has been based since; previously it used rooms in the Federal Ministry of Health. As of April 2026, in addition to telephone counselling, in-person counselling is offered in 15 cities across 13 federal states, along with online counselling on a platform of the Stiftung UPD; video counselling is planned for the second half of 2026.

The Foundation for Independent Patient Counselling Germany (Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland, Stiftung UPD) began as a model project (Modellvorhaben) operated from 1 January 2000 under § 65b of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V). The model project was designed to run for four years and was initially limited to the end of 2010. Its stated goal, according to Helga Kühn-Mengel, the Federal Government Commissioner for Patients' Affairs, was to build an advisory and information service independent of health insurers and care providers as a regular benefit, as prescribed by § 65b SGB V. The organisation officially began work on 30 January 2007. The sponsors of the model association and shareholders of the Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland UPD gemeinnützige GmbH, founded in 2006, were the Sozialverband VdK Deutschland e.V., the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. (vzbv), and the Verbund unabhängige Patientenberatung (VuP) e.V. By 31 December 2010 the UPD had handled more than 250,000 cases. After the model project expired on 31 December 2010 and the service transitioned to a regular benefit through the aforementioned legislative change (reform via the Arzneimittelmarktneuordnungsgesetz, AMNOG), the sponsorship of the UPD was re-awarded. The GKV-Spitzenverband made the decision on 27 January 2011 after a Europe-wide tender, with the participation of the Federal Government's Patients' Commissioner and an advisory board of affected ministries, patient organisations, scientists, and private health insurers. Participation by private insurers was possible only in exchange for contributing to the UPD's funding. The UPD was then continued by the bidding consortium of the previous sponsors. Until the clarification of further sponsorship in January 2011, counselling was provided only in exceptional cases; after the Europe-wide tender was awarded, the free counselling hotline was reactivated. Funding for patient counselling stood at nearly unchanged €5.2 million per year for its operation since 2000. From 1 January 2011 this sum also covered accompanying scientific research. In addition to statutory health insurance, private health insurance also began contributing from then on. From 1 January 2011 an annual adjustment of funding was envisaged in line with the annual increase in average remuneration under § 18(1) of the Fourth Book of the Social Code. From 1 January 2016 until the re-establishment as a foundation, the health-service provider Sanvartis took over counselling for statutory and private patients. This takeover raised concerns among critics about a loss of independence, since Sanvartis also worked for health insurers. The criticism was met with the announcement that a separate, non-profit subsidiary, Sanvartis GmbH, would be founded for the UPD. On 21 September 2015, two members of the scientific advisory board of patient counselling (Marie-Luise Dierks and Rolf Rosenbrock) resigned in protest. In August 2018 it became known that Sanvartis, including the UPD gGmbH, had been sold. All companies now belonged to the newly founded Sanvartis Careforce Holding GmbH based in Duisburg. The GmbH had taken over the entire Careforce Group. The Verbund unabhängige Patientenberatung (VuP) criticised that through the sale an "independent patient counselling ... had become a farce," that "private investors are enriching themselves with funding for patient counselling and the non-profit status of the UPD" was at stake. On 1 January 2024 the UPD was converted into a legally capable foundation under civil law (rechtsfähige Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts), carried and financed by the Spitzenverband Bund der Krankenkassen. The name was also changed to Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland. The necessary law was promulgated in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 15 May 2023. Dr. Stefan Etgeton and Bettina Godschalk served as the founding board. Sven Arndt began work as the first of two regular board members on 1 May 2024, followed by Dr. Katharina Graffmann-Weschke as the second board member on 1 July 2024. The counselling service started after the foundation's establishment only on 6 May 2024, initially offering telephone counselling only. In December 2024 the UPD moved to new premises in Berlin-Schöneberg, where it has been based since; previously it used rooms in the Federal Ministry of Health. As of April 2026, in addition to telephone counselling, in-person counselling is offered in 15 cities across 13 federal states, along with online counselling on a platform of the Stiftung UPD; video counselling is planned for the second half of 2026.

• UPD begins operating as a model project under § 65b SGB V.

• Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland UPD gemeinnützige GmbH founded.

• UPD officially begins work.

• Model project expires; service transitions to a regular benefit via AMNOG reform.

• GKV-Spitzenverband re-awards UPD sponsorship after Europe-wide tender; free counselling hotline reactivated.

• UPD becomes a regular statutory benefit; private health insurance begins contributing.

• Two scientific advisory board members resign in protest over Sanvartis takeover.

• Sanvartis takes over counselling for statutory and private patients.

• Sanvartis, including UPD gGmbH, sold to Sanvartis Careforce Holding GmbH.

• Law enabling the foundation promulgated in the Bundesgesetzblatt.

• UPD converted into a legally capable foundation under civil law and renamed Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland.

• Sven Arndt begins work as first of two regular board members.

• Counselling service restarts, initially by telephone only.

• Dr. Katharina Graffmann-Weschke joins as second board member.

• UPD moves to new premises in Berlin-Schöneberg.

• In-person counselling offered in 15 cities across 13 federal states; online counselling available; video counselling planned for second half of 2026.

Independent, free, and where needed anonymous patient counselling on health and healthcare-law issues, available regardless of insurance status.

• Telephone patient counselling

  Anonymous telephone counselling on health and healthcare-law questions, free of charge.

• In-person patient counselling

  Personal counselling offered in 15 cities across 13 federal states as of April 2026.

• Online patient counselling

  Online counselling on a platform of the Stiftung UPD.

1. 1Foundation for Independent Patient Counselling Germany - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org