The German spa and health resort industry convened from November 14 to 16, 2024, under the theme “Shaping the Future – Health Resorts and Spas in Germany” in the rapidly growing spa town of Bad Nauheim, located in the heart of Hesse.
The conference’s main topics addressed the continuously rising demand since the pandemic for treatments related to post- and long-COVID as well as fatigue syndrome. During the conference, a study suggested that a substantial portion of these patients could be successfully treated on an outpatient basis through spa medicine, including outpatient preventive care services. This is especially relevant given the highly limited capacities of hospitals for critically ill patients and rehabilitation clinics for inpatient rehabilitation.
Furthermore, a foreseeable consequence of the planned hospital reform is the increased shift of services to the outpatient sector. This transition presents an opportunity to utilize the medical and therapeutic offerings of outpatient preventive care medicine properly.
State-certified health resorts and spas in Germany account for 28% of all overnight stays in the country and ensure the medical and therapeutic care of the population in rural areas. “The greatest challenge for health resorts and spas is maintaining, refurbishing, and developing their highly personnel- and cost-intensive health infrastructure,” said Brigitte Goertz-Meissner, President of the German Spas Association. Most of these very small towns are facing severe financial strain, particularly since they had to close their thermal baths during the pandemic and could not claim compensation for losses. For approximately 200 thermal baths in Germany, funding programs are urgently needed.
Goertz-Meissner also highlighted another challenge: the legal rulings on input tax deduction. Decisions by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the German Federal Fiscal Court (BFH) have stripped health resorts and spas of their right to deduct input tax. This could result in back payments amounting to millions for these small municipalities. Goertz-Meissner demands that input tax deductions from spa tax revenues must remain permissible and that retroactive claims be suspended. Without these measures, many health resorts and spas face existential threats.
With over 1,200 rehabilitation clinics established in health resorts and spas, the planned hospital reform and its associated risks for rehabilitation clinics were also a key discussion points. The German Spa Association calls on the federal government to consider the unique needs and challenges of rehabilitation clinics in the legislative process. Only a tailored reform that addresses both acute care and rehabilitative services can ensure high-quality and comprehensive patient care across Germany in the long term.
