Breast Cancer Screening in Germany: G-BA Decides to Include Women Aged 45–49

On October 15, 2026, Germany’s Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) decided to expand the national mammography screening program — an X-ray breast examination for early cancer detection — to include women aged 45 to 49. Provided the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) raises no legal objections, the change will enter into force on August 1, 2027.

What the G-BA Decided

According to the G-BA, the expansion potentially applies to around 2.5 million women. Currently, the program covers women aged 50 to 75, who are invited for an examination every two years.

The change will take effect on condition that the BMG does not raise legal objections. Starting August 1, 2027, women aged 45–49 will then be able to schedule an examination themselves through the program’s central coordination offices. Personal invitation letters for this age group are expected to be sent out starting in January 2028, according to the G-BA.

How the Program Works

Mammography is an X-ray examination of the breast. Within the organized screening program, each image is independently assessed by two physicians. If a result is suspicious, follow-up diagnostics are arranged, and in some cases a biopsy is performed. Participation in the program is voluntary.

Benefits and Limitations

The federal health portal gesund.bund.de explains that early detection can identify disease at an earlier stage and in some cases improve treatment prospects, but it guarantees neither the absence of disease nor a cure. False-positive and false-negative findings, as well as overdiagnosis and overtreatment, are possible. According to the portal, the decision to participate should be made after weighing the benefits and risks.

Bernhard van Treeck of the G-BA also noted in the committee’s announcement that the likelihood of false alarms must be taken into account.

Who Can Participate: Insurance Status Decides, Not Nationality

Early detection examinations under Section 25 of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V) are provided for persons insured under statutory health insurance (GKV). Age groups and examination procedures are defined by the G-BA.

Persons insured in the GKV. For Ukrainian nationals, the official portal germany4ukraine.de links access to statutory health insurance to the underlying insurance basis:

• recipients of benefits under SGB II or SGB XII receive access to the GKV or healthcare services at an equivalent level;
• employed persons are insured under general statutory rules;
• for some individuals who do not receive social assistance, voluntary insurance is available under the conditions of Section 417 SGB V within the applicable application deadline.

By contrast, temporary protection status under Section 24 of the Residence Act or nationality alone does not automatically mean that a person holds GKV coverage.

Recipients of benefits under the AsylbLG. Under Section 4 of the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (AsylbLG), coverage includes treatment for acute illnesses and pain conditions, recommended vaccinations, and medically necessary preventive examinations. The provision does not establish an automatic right to participate in this specific mammography screening program. After the statutory waiting period, the scope of healthcare entitlements changes. Section 6 AsylbLG allows additional services on a case-by-case basis if they are indispensable to safeguard health; this is not a blanket guarantee of coverage for any screening program.

Information Sources

• G-BA: Mammography screening for women aged 45–49 (press release of October 15, 2026)
• G-BA: Mammography screening program overview
• gesund.bund.de: Early cancer detection
• Germany4Ukraine: Statutory health insurance for Ukrainians
• Germany4Ukraine: Medical assistance for refugees
• Section 4 AsylbLG: Healthcare benefits
• Section 6 AsylbLG: Other benefits
• Section 25 SGB V: Medical check-ups