[The affiliated physician in Germany: the end of a cross-sector form of care?]

In the classic affiliated physician system, patients are typically guaranteed cross-sectoral surgical and nonsurgical care. For years, neutral experts have been confirming the resource-efficient use of the increasing demand for medical services due to changing demographics. Nevertheless, due to lack of support, this form of care is increasingly being replaced by structures that substitute affiliated physicians. Only by returning to this cross-sectoral form of care, which was a leading form of care up to the middle of the last century, and corresponding legislative measures will the affiliated physician form of care survive.