Karl Lauterbach (born February 21, 1963 in Düren) is a German scientist and politician (SPD). He is professor of health economics and epidemiology at the University of Cologne.
Lauterbach studied human medicine in Aachen, Düsseldorf and San Antonio (Texas). From 1989-1992 he has studied health policy and management as well as epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, graduating with a Doctor of Science in 1992. From 1992 - 1993 he has held a fellowship at the Harvard Medical School.
Since 1998 Lauterbach has been director of the institute of health economy and clinical epidemiology at the University of Cologne, and he was appointed adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in 2008. He was a member of the Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der Entwicklung im Gesundheitswesen ("Council of Experts for the development of health system") from 1999 until he was elected into the Bundestag in September 2005. He also was a member of the Rürup-Kommission, a committee of experts that was established to review the financing of the social insurance systems.
Lauterbach joined the SPD in 2001. He made his entry to the Bundestag with a direct mandate by winning in his electoral district Leverkusen – Köln at the federal elections 2005. In the Bundestag he is a member of the committee on health politics.
Lauterbach is a strong advocate of the so called Bürgerversicherung, mainly favoured by the Social Democrats. These idea includes the reorganization of the German health system and the incorporation of all people and all income groups into the financing of health care system.
Karl Lauterbach is married with Dr. Angela Spelsberg, who is director of a Tumour Centre in Aachen. They have four children.
(German) Official Website