Contracting agencies and funding of IQWiG

IQWiG is a professionally-independent, scientific institute. Consequently, no interest group can influence the results of reports produced by the Institute.

Who commissions IQWiG?

IQWiG may only accept commissions from the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) or the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). The G-BA is the supreme decision-making body of the self-government in health care and decides, for example, which medical services are to be reimbursed by the statutory health insurance funds. The results of the G-BA's commissions are published as reports or rapid reports of drugs or non-drug interventions, dossier assessments of new drugs or assessments of the potential of non-drug interventions.
However, the Institute can also investigate issues of fundamental importance on its own initiative. For this purpose it was awarded a general commission by the G-BA in 2004. Results of these projects are published as working papers.

Who finances IQWiG?

IQWiG is financed through levies for inpatient and outpatient medical treatment, in other words, ultimately through contributions from the members of all statutory health insurance funds (GKV). The G-BA fixes the amount of levy every year.

Does IQWiG decide on which procedures are reimbursed by statutory health insurance?

No. The Institute produces reports on the benefit of medical interventions. Providing the reports have been commissioned by the G-BA, they contain a concluding recommendation for the G-BA on whether a(n) (added) benefit exists. Furthermore, the Institute can receive a commission to examine whether this added benefit justifies the costs and also submit a recommendation on this issue to the G-BA. However, IQWiG does not make the decision as to whether the costs of a service should be reimbursed by the health insurance funds; this decision is only made by the G-BA.