Seeing a Doctor or a Dentist

  • In many countries it is customary to go to the ambulance at a hospital first if you get ill. In Germany, you only go to the ambulance in case of an emergency or at night or weekends, when the doctors‘ offices are closed.
  • Everybody should have a general practitioner as personal doctor. You should find a doctor for yourself before you get ill. Doctors usually have large signs outside their offices. Look around in your neighborhood. Also check the web (www.ulmer-aerzte.de) or yellow pages. The best way is probably a recommendation by a friend or neighbor.
  • In order to treat patients of public insurance companies, doctors need to have a contract with those companies. On their signs it will usually say "Alle Kassen”. If it says “Privatpraxis”, even clients of public health insurances will get treated as private patients, i.e. they have to pay their bills themselves, but they will only get a small part refunded by their insurance.
  • To be able to benefit from all the medical care, treatment and preventive measures offered by the health insurance system, you will be asked to present the doctor or dentist your health insurance card (members of public health insurances) or your EHIC Card at your first visit each quarter (i.e. January - March / April - June / July - September / October - December).
  • At your first visit each quarter, you also have to pay the so-called "practice fee" of 10,00 € in cash. Make sure to keep the receipt!
  • Exemptions from the 10,00 € doctor’s practice fee: dental checkups, immunization, preventive medical check-ups, pregnancy check-ups.
  • If you need to see a specialist, you should obtain a referral from your doctor first. If you present the referral and the receipt of the payment of the practice fee, you do not have to pay the 10,00 € again during the same quarter. The specialist can also refer you to another specialist.
  • For in-hospital treatment, you have to make a co-payment of 10,00 € a day. Maximum is for 28 days in a year.
  • It is not possible to make referrals to dentists. You also have to pay the practice fee at a dentist's office - even if you have paid it at another doctor's office before.

Medication

  • You will receive all medically required drugs. They are obtained from dispensing pharmacies (Apotheke).
  • The co-payment for prescribed drugs is 5,00 € to 10,00 € Euro in most cases.