Germany 's major health insurers will bear the costs of " videosprechstunden " ( video consultations ) as part of e - health legislation that came into effect on 1 January . It is part of a raft of measures aimed at moving to a digital system , which includes charging doctors for providing accurate documentation and good storage of data within a national database . While many companies have been eager to develop the sector , estimated to be worth € ##500 m ( $ 437 million ) this year , regulatory progress , especially regarding the handling of sensitive data , has slowed adoption .
Germany's major health insurers will bear the costs of "videosprechstunden" (video consultations) as part of e-health legislation that came into effect on 1 January. It is part of a raft of measures aimed at moving to a digital system, which includes rewarding doctors for using paperless documentation and good maintenance of data within a national database. While many companies have been eager to develop the sector, set to be worth €400m ($437m) this year, regulatory progress, especially regarding the handling of sensitive data, has slowed adoption.