MVZ

MVZ stands for Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum, a term used in the German healthcare system to describe an outpatient medical care center. An MVZ is typically a legally distinct entity in which physicians and other health professionals collaborate to provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary outpatient care. MVZs may house multiple specialties and can be owned by independent physicians, hospital groups, or corporate healthcare providers. They centralize administrative functions and clinical infrastructure, such as laboratories and imaging facilities, enabling coordinated patient care at a single site.

Operation and services: MVZs provide general practice and specialist consultations, preventive care, diagnostics, and some ambulatory procedures that do not require hospital admission. They operate within the German statutory health insurance system and bill services through the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung (KV) according to agreed remuneration. Medical decisions remain the responsibility of the treating physicians.

Governing and regulation: MVZs are subject to the rules of the Social Code V (SGB V) and are overseen by the regional KV, which licenses, monitors compliance, and allocates patient quotas. Physicians employed by MVZs must follow professional regulations and maintain independent medical responsibility.

History and impact: The MVZ model developed during healthcare reforms from the 1990s onward to promote outpatient care, multidisciplinary collaboration, and economies of scale. Proponents cite improved access and streamlined administration; critics point to concerns about corporate ownership of medical practices and potential conflicts of interest.