Legal advice for hospitals

The German healthcare sector is undergoing profound change. Hospitals are under particular pressure to consolidate. Questions regarding the financial viability of hospital services pose a particular challenge following the introduction of the flat rate per case system (DRG). Hospitals and clinics are facing unprecedented competition for the most economically attractive range of services.

The structural change in the hospital sector is therefore in full swing. Hospitals must position themselves strategically as service providers in the changed healthcare market. This includes improved dovetailing with doctors in private practice and opening up their own outpatient care channels. The increasing shortage of specialists requires flexible solutions across sector boundaries.

VOELKER has a team of qualified lawyers with many years of experience in advising hospitals and advises a large number of non-profit, municipal and private hospitals. The special regulatory requirements of the healthcare sector must be observed and require special industry knowledge, which VOELKER has been able to develop in a large number of reference mandates. You can find our reference list here.

VOELKER's range of services primarily covers the following consulting areas:

Hospital consulting

  • Organization, hospital planning and financing of hospitals

  • Support in negotiations with health insurance companies and in court proceedings, e.g. in billing disputes

  • Mergers & acquisitions - assistance with the purchase or sale of hospitals

  • Assistance with privatizations, restructurings or outsourcing

  • Advice on issues relating to the non-profit status of hospitals

  • Merger control, competition law and EU state aid law (e.g. issues relating to the entrustment act)

  • Special issues for church organizations

Cross-sector advice

  • Cooperation with other service providers

  • Fee-based doctor contracts and inpatient doctor models

  • Establishment and support of medical care centers

  • Municipal MVZs and in-house operations

  • Advice on anti-corruption law

  • Company and management contracts for MVZ and practice models

Human resources

  • Adaptation of head physician contracts including target agreements to changed care structures

  • Legally compliant structuring of the billing of elective medical services

  • Solutions for employee participation (pool models)

  • Status issues with social insurance carriers

  • Co-determination issues

IT / data protection / procurement

  • Public procurement

  • Advice on IT and data protection issues

  • Construction and architectural law

You can find even more information in our Life Science flyer and in our MedTech brochure.