German Professional Association of Ear, Nose and Throat Doctors

The Deutscher Berufsverband der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte e.V. (BVHNO) — in English, the German Professional Association of Ear, Nose and Throat Doctors — is the professional body that represents the social, economic and professional-policy interests of ear, nose and throat (HNO) physicians in Germany. It was founded in July 1951 in Cologne and is registered as a voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) at the Amtsgericht Karlsruhe under register number VR 489. Its federal office (Bundesgeschäftsstelle) is located in Neumünster in Schleswig-Holstein, and it also maintains an HNO capital office in Berlin at Torstrasse 177. The association speaks for ENT doctors both in private practice and in hospitals, addressing politicians, medical self-governing bodies such as the chambers of physicians (Ärztekammern) and the associations of statutory health insurance physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen), and other public institutions. Any ENT physician resident in Germany may become an ordinary member; ENT doctors based abroad may become extraordinary members. According to the association, roughly 90 percent of all ENT physicians in private practice in Germany are members, alongside numerous hospital-based ENT doctors. Beyond advocacy, the BVHNO supports its members in professional matters and promotes continuing education. Its affiliated company, the Deutsche Fortbildungsgesellschaft der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte mbH, also based in Neumünster, organises an annual training congress in Mannheim. That congress has been held in Mannheim since 1999 and, with its extensive programme of lectures and courses plus an accompanying trade exhibition, is described as the highlight of the association's year. The 59th continuing-education congress is scheduled for 29–31 October 2026 at the Congress Center Rosengarten under the motto "AI in ENT: Hype or Game Changer?", with the opening on 28 October 2026. The association also negotiates selective contracts (Selektivverträge) for its members, such as the AllergoOne contract with the Techniker Krankenkasse for the treatment of allergy patients, which offers physicians add-on remuneration and patients cost-effective drug therapy. It runs webinars through the Deutsche Fortbildungsgesellschaft für HNO-Ärzte and operates the "Praxis der Sinne" webshop, which offers patient leaflets, practice supplies and more. In health-policy debates the BVHNO has been an active voice. It has campaigned against the planned GKV contribution-rate stabilisation act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz), warning that cuts to outpatient care funding would harm patients and practices, and it has conducted member surveys on the consequences for statutory-insurance consultation hours and on the abandonment of paediatric ENT operations. The association is also a member of the Spitzenverband Fachärzte Deutschlands e.V. (SpiFa), the umbrella body of German specialist physicians, and has provided its board chair since 2015.

The Deutscher Berufsverband der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte e.V. (BVHNO) was founded in July 1951 in Cologne. From its beginnings it has functioned as a voluntary professional association (eingetragener Verein) dedicated to representing the social and professional-policy interests of ear, nose and throat physicians in Germany vis-à-vis politicians, medical self-governing bodies and other associations and federations. Ordinary membership is open to any ENT physician resident in Germany, while ENT doctors based abroad may join as extraordinary members. Over the decades the association built a structure that is regionally organised into dependent state groups (Landesgruppen) and legally independent state associations (Landesverbände), as well as district groups (Bezirksgruppen). The federal office is located in Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein, and the association is registered at the Amtsgericht Karlsruhe under the name "Deutscher Berufsverband der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte" with register number VR 489. Its organs are the members' assembly, the federal board (Bundesvorstand) and the presidium, the latter consisting of the president and two vice-presidents. The federal board comprises the chairs of the state associations and groups plus the treasurer; the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and the association of ENT chief physicians each send one voting member. Presidium members are elected by the federal board from among the state chairs for a four-year term. A defining feature of the association's calendar is its annual continuing-education congress, held in Mannheim since 1999. Organised by the affiliated Deutsche Fortbildungsgesellschaft der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte mbH, which shares the Neumünster address, the congress combines a broad programme of lectures and courses with an accompanying trade exhibition and is regarded as the highlight of the association's year. The 59th edition is planned for 29–31 October 2026 at the Congress Center Rosengarten under the motto "AI in ENT: Hype or Game Changer?", with the opening on 28 October 2026. The BVHNO works closely with the scientific specialist society of the discipline, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für HNO-Heilkunde, and is a member of the Spitzenverband Fachärzte Deutschlands e.V. (SpiFa), the umbrella organisation of German specialist physicians, where it has held the board chairmanship since 2015. The association also negotiates selective contracts for its members, such as the AllergoOne contract with Techniker Krankenkasse for allergy treatment, and offers webinars and the "Praxis der Sinne" webshop for patient leaflets and practice supplies. In recent years the association has been particularly visible in health-policy debates. It has campaigned against the planned GKV contribution-rate stabilisation act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz), arguing that cuts to outpatient care funding — described as 2.7 billion euros in the coming year alone — would harm patients and practices. It launched a protest action to stop the savings law, welcomed a nationwide protest day by established physicians, and published member surveys showing that 82 percent of ENT practices planned to reduce statutory-insurance consultation hours and that one in three respondents had given up paediatric ENT operations. It has also warned against allowing the TSVG to expire without replacement, stating that millions of patients had benefited. Today the association reports that roughly 90 percent of all ENT physicians in private practice in Germany are members, alongside numerous hospital-based ENT doctors.

• 2026

  59th continuing-education congress planned for 29–31 October 2026 in Mannheim under the motto "AI in ENT: Hype or Game Changer?".

• 2015

  The association takes the board chairmanship of the Spitzenverband Fachärzte Deutschlands e.V. (SpiFa).

• 1999

  Annual HNO continuing-education congress begins to be held in Mannheim.

• 1951

  Founded in July 1951 in Cologne as the Deutscher Berufsverband der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte e.V.

The leading professional association for ear, nose and throat physicians in Germany, combining health-policy advocacy with continuing education and member services.

• Annual HNO continuing-education congress in Mannheim

  Held since 1999, with lectures, courses and an accompanying trade exhibition; the highlight of the association's year.

• AllergoOne selective contract

  Selective contract with Techniker Krankenkasse for allergy treatment, offering add-on remuneration for physicians and cost-effective drug therapy for patients.

• "Praxis der Sinne" webshop

  Offers patient leaflets in plain language, practice supplies and more.

• HNO webinars

  Current webinars for ENT physicians offered via the Deutsche Fortbildungsgesellschaft für HNO-Ärzte.

1. 1HNO-Ärzte.de | hno-aerzte.dehno-aerzte.de
2. 2Presse | hno-aerzte.dehno-aerzte.de
3. 3Der Verband | hno-aerzte.dehno-aerzte.de
4. 4Geschäftsstellen | hno-aerzte.dehno-aerzte.de
5. 5German professional association of ear, nose and throat doctors — Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Deutscher Berufsverband der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte — Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org