Apps on prescription (DiGA): how to get a health app prescribed
Around 60 apps have been reviewed and approved by Germany's medical devices authority, and statutory health insurance pays for them in full. How to get from prescription to activation code, what privately insured people should know and how to recognise a genuine DiGA.
In short
A digital health application (DiGA) is an app or web application that the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has reviewed and added to its directory [3]. Doctors and psychotherapists can prescribe it, and statutory health insurance covers the cost [1] [2]. With the prescription, your health insurer sends you an activation code that unlocks the app.
Back pain, sleep problems, tinnitus or mild depression: for many conditions there are now apps that support or complement treatment. Some of them can be prescribed just like a medicine. In Germany these apps are called digital health applications, or DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen).
What is a DiGA?
A DiGA is a medical device whose main function is based on digital technology. It is designed to help detect, monitor, treat or relieve illnesses [1]. Fitness apps or general health promotion apps do not count [2].
Before an app can be prescribed as a DiGA, the BfArM checks its safety, functionality and quality, data protection and whether it demonstrably improves care [4]. Only then is it added to the official DiGA directory. If the evidence is still missing, an app can be listed provisionally for a trial period of up to twelve months. If it cannot provide the evidence in that time, it is removed again [4] [5].
- DiGA in the BfArM directory
- around 60
- DiGA in the BfArM directory
- activation codes redeemed in 2025
- 695,000
- activation codes redeemed in 2025
- usual length of a prescription
- 90 days
- usual length of a prescription
How do you get a DiGA prescribed?
You get a DiGA like other treatments, with a prescription from your doctor's or psychotherapist's practice. Whether a DiGA suits you is something you discuss there.
From prescription to active app
Talk to your practice
Your doctor or psychotherapist checks whether there is a suitable DiGA for your diagnosis and prescribes it.
Receive the prescription
You receive the prescription on paper or electronically. The electronic option is voluntary for now, and the practice decides [6].
Submit it to your health insurer
You can send a paper prescription by post, hand it in at a branch or upload a photo in your insurer's app. An electronic prescription is redeemed via an e-prescription app [6].
Receive the activation code
Your insurer sends you an activation code, usually within one to two working days [7].
Activate the app
Download the app or open the web application and enter the code. You can then use it for the prescribed period.
You can also apply for a DiGA directly to your health insurer without a prescription. You will need to prove that you have the condition the app is intended for, for example with a doctor's letter or a recent diagnosis [1] [2].
Who pays for a DiGA?
If you have statutory health insurance, your insurer covers the full cost of a prescribed DiGA [2]. There is no co-payment as there is for medicines. You only pay the extra cost yourself if you choose an extended version that does more than the directory entry or costs more. Health insurers do not pay for a smartphone or other devices [1].
With private health insurance, reimbursement depends on your plan [6]. It is best to ask beforehand. For federal civil servants, a DiGA is eligible for allowance (Beihilfe) if it is listed in the BfArM directory and has been prescribed [8]. Separate rules apply to civil servants of the federal states.
Which conditions are DiGA available for?
DiGA now cover many areas, ranging from mental health to metabolic diseases [2] [9]:
- Mental health: depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, alcohol and nicotine dependence.
- Musculoskeletal system: back pain, knee and shoulder problems.
- Nervous system and sensory organs: for example tinnitus and migraine.
- Metabolism: diabetes and severe obesity.
You can see which apps are currently approved in the BfArM DiGA directory at diga.bfarm.de. It also shows whether an app is listed permanently or provisionally, which diagnoses it is intended for and how long a prescription lasts.
How can you recognise a DiGA?
You can recognise a DiGA by its listing in the BfArM directory. Stricter rules apply to it than to ordinary health apps:
| Criterion | DiGA | Ordinary health app | DiPA (care app) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reviewed by | BfArM | nobody | BfArM |
| Purpose | detect, treat or relieve illness | fitness, prevention, information | help people in need of care stay independent |
| How you get it | prescription or application to your health insurer | download, often with a subscription | application to the long-term care insurer |
| Cost | covered by statutory health insurance | usually paid yourself | covered by long-term care insurance |
| Advertising | not allowed | possible | not allowed |
DiGA also have to follow fixed data protection rules. Your data may only be processed in Germany, the EU or countries with a comparable level of data protection, and use for advertising is prohibited [10]. Since 2025, DiGA must also hold a data security certificate based on the requirements of the Federal Office for Information Security [4] [10].
Frequently asked questions
A prescription usually lasts 90 days, and some DiGA are also available for 30 or 60 days [3] [7]. After that, your doctor decides whether a follow-up prescription makes sense.
No. Only apps listed in the BfArM DiGA directory can be prescribed [3].
Not if you have statutory health insurance. Extra costs only arise if you choose an extended version that goes beyond the directory entry [1].
Manufacturers may only process your data for the application itself, not for advertising. Processing is limited to Germany, the EU and countries with comparable data protection [10].
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Justice: § 33a SGB V, digital health applications. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Health, gesund.bund.de: DiGA – apps on prescription. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM): Wissenswertes zu DiGA (as of 09.09.2026). (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Justice: § 139e SGB V, directory of digital health applications. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM): FAQ DigiG, risk class IIb. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Health, gesund.bund.de: Die elektronische Verordnung (as of 12.06.2026). (accessed 21.10.2026)
- National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband): report on the use of digital health applications 2025. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Justice: § 25a Federal Allowance Ordinance (BBhV), digital health applications. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Health, gesund.bund.de: DiGA for mental illnesses. (accessed 21.10.2026)
- Federal Ministry of Justice: § 4 Digital Health Applications Ordinance (DiGAV), data protection and data security. (accessed 21.10.2026)
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