Costs for regular Treatment  in  Germany

Before undertaking a regular treatment in Germany check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy is applicable in Germany, and if the coverage is adequate. 

In its simplest form foreign patients wanting regular treatment in Germany must meet the treatment costs privatly unless there is a reciprocal agreement between their native land and Germany.

Reziprocal-agreements between Germany and other Countries

If  a reciprocal health agreement exists, which entitles the citizens of a partner country to free medical and dental treatment, the following information should be noted:

• Prescribed medicines may, in some cases, have to be paid for. 

• The cost of treatment in public hospitals (on referral by a doctor, or in emergencies) is covered by the public health authorities, except for a small daily charge from the start of hospital treatment up to a maximum of 14 days.

• Private insurance is recommended for specialist medical treatment outside the German National Health Service, which can be expensive

EU-Citizens

Following the current rules for the coordination of social security-systems in Europa,  the German helping cost-bearer (ie physician, hospital)  bills the treatment-costs for emergency cases to the respective foreign health insurance of the treated patient.

The European court of justice in Luxemburg EuGH has made in the year 2001important decisions to the demands of stationary health-performances over the national-borders in the EC.

The judges determined that in the cases of regular foreign-treatment within the EC, patients from EC-countries have to hold an authorization and a promise to takeover costs from their own insurance companies in their native land.

Simultaneously the insurance companies must give an authorization if the treatment cannot be guaranteed timely by their covenantors (hospitals, physicians etc.) in the native country  and if the treatment in the foreign country within the EC is „in the international medicine adequately tested and scientifically recognized “.

The Experts expect that more patients from countries with healthcare-narrowpasses for certain elective treatments (for example hip-surgery od cataract-operations) as in Norway or UK will come in future reinforced through this judgment to hospital-treatment in Germany, who has a overcapacity in health care sector.