Hospital Future Act (KHZG)
This funding program is available exclusively in Germany. For more information on digitalization or public incentives in your country, please contact your local KARL STORZ subsidiary or your local dealer.
Eligible Projects as per Section 19(1) Clause 1 KHSFV
- Adaptation of hospital emergency room technical/IT equipment to reflect the current state of the art
- Patient portals
- Digital care and treatment documentation
- Establishment of partially or fully automated clinical decision support systems
- Digital medication management
- Digital service requests
- Coordination of services and cloud computing systems
- Digital bed management systems to improve collaboration between hospitals and other care facilities
- IT-, communication technology-, or robotics-based plants, equipment, and procedures; telehealth networks
- IT security
- Adaptation of patient rooms to special treatment requirements in the event of an epidemic
Within individual states, funding will be distributed in accordance with the Königstein key. Note that at least 15% of requested financing must be used to enhance IT security.
The KARL STORZ Digital Transformation Product Portfolio
C-MAC product group
BuddyCare – digital admissions and treatment management
Digital operating room – OR1™
FAQs
Correctness and completeness cannot be guaranteed.
Eligibility is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Hospital Financing Act (Krankenhausfinanzierungsgesetz, KHG). Accordingly, all hospitals that are included in the state’s hospital plan are eligible to apply for funding. Wholly private hospitals are ineligible.
University hospitals are eligible to apply, but projects involving university hospitals are to receive no more than 10% of the resources available to the state.
KRITIS facilities, which represent critical infrastructures, are specifically mentioned in the Hospital Future Act as well. Since they are already eligible for IT security funding through the Hospital Structural Fund, they are excluded from funding as per Section 19(1) Clause 1 no. 10 KHSFV in order to prevent double funding.
Institutions are not categorically entitled to funding. The state and the Federal Office for Social Security will use their best judgment in making decisions on an individual basis.
Projects to be funded must have started no earlier than September 2, 2020 (cabinet decision).
Hospital operators and/or individual states must contribute at least 30% of the total amount to be awarded. (Section 14a(5) KHG)
Effective January 1, 2021, the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS) has authorized IT service providers to check whether the requirements for funding allocation are met. By December 31, 2020, the BAS finished developing a training program for this purpose, which is now available free of charge on the website. (Section 21(5) KHSFV).
Decisions on whether IT service provider certification must be complete at the time of the initial request lie with the individual states. Either way, this certification must be in place by the time the state submits the application to the BAS. (Section 22(2) no. 4 KHSFV)
There is no specific deadline for project completion. Since the law specifies a payment reduction for unrealized projects from January 1, 2025 onward (2% of the invoice amount for each inpatient and semi-inpatient case, pursuant to Section 19(1) Clause 1 no. 2-6 KHSFV), December 31, 2024 could be used as a point of reference.
According to the funding guideline, contracts must be awarded in full compliance with national and EU procurement law. The usual rules apply. KHZG neither restricts nor extends procurement law.