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Yes. Barmer covers the costs for therapeutic treatments prescribed by a doctor. However, you are required to make a statutory co-payment of 10% of the cost of these treatments and an additional 10 euro per prescription. Therapeutic treatments include physiotherapeutic treatments and occupational, voice, speech and language therapies, podiatry therapy for diabetic foot syndrome as well as nutritional therapy for rare metabolic diseases.
You need therapeutic treatments over a long period of time?
The legislator has created regulations on this topic in the so-called Heilmittel-Richtlinie (Therapeutic Products Directive). The regulation specifies the maximum amount of treatment that can be prescribed in a regular case (the so-called "Regelfall"). If the amount of prescribed treatment is not sufficient because of serious and permanent damage to health, a long-term need for therapeutic treatments can be recognized under certain conditions.
There are two diagnosis lists that include the respective serious diagnoses:
| Diagnosis list of the "Heilmittel-Richtlinie" | List of special prescription cases |
|---|---|
Examples:
| Examples:
|
If your diagnosis is included in one of the diagnosis lists and other additional conditions are met, the requirements for a longer-term or long-term need for therapeutic treatment are fulfilled. In this case, Barmer does not require any application.
What if my diagnosis is not included in the lists?
If your doctor has diagnosed you with a serious health condition and long-term impairment lasting longer than one year, you can apply to Barmer for the individual approval of a long-term therapeutic treatment requirement.
Please submit the following documents to us for the assessment of your application:
We may obtain a neutral expert opinion from the "Medizinische Dienst" (Medical Advisory Service) to review your application. If the requirements for a long-term therapeutic treatment are met, your application will be approved.
If the requirements are not met, you will receive a written rejection, which you should also submit to your doctor. This rejection does not mean that your doctor is no longer allowed to prescribe therapeutic treatments. The doctor can, for example, continue a medically necessary treatment beyond the "orientierende Behandlungsmenge" (indicative treatment quantity).
People with statutory health insurance should always receive medically necessary therapeutic treatment. Exclusion only applies if the doctor determines that the prescription is not economical. This would be the case, for example, if the treatment objective can also be achieved with medical aids, medication or personal measures, taking into account the respective therapy risks – for example, through self-exercise programs, sporting activities or a change in lifestyle. The doctor decides on this in each individual case as part of their therapeutic responsibility.
Yes. You can receive psychotherapy easily and free of charge via your e-health card, but your therapist needs to be registered within the public health insurance system.
The Barmer Doctor Finder is a good place to start when looking for an approved psychotherapist in your area – especially one who speaks your preferred language.
On the website of the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians), you can also search for psychotherapists in your area. You can find all approved psychotherapists under the heading “Tipps zur Online-Arztsuche: So finden Sie Ihren Arzt oder Psychotherapeuten”. Please note that this website is only available in German.
You can also receive telephone support to find a psychotherapist by calling the special appointment service hotline of the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung. You can reach this service at the nationwide number 116117 or at www.116117.de. Agents on this special hotline will try to support you in English, but the menu choices given at the beginning of the call are only in German.
When visiting a doctor, you may receive a prescription for medication. There are different kinds of prescriptions in Germany. Prescriptions typically come in the colors green, yellow and blue.
In some countries of the world, you’re not able to choose a specialist doctor yourself. But in Germany, you have a free choice. For example, if you are insured with Barmer, you can visit every doctor who bills directly with public health insurance providers and this includes almost every general practitioner or specialist in Germany.
Yes. The Barmer Teledoktor is available daily from 6:00 to 24:00 via telephone, chat or in-app message to provide free medical advice in English across all healthcare areas – from asthma to toothaches. Video consultations from doctors are available Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 22:00, and on weekends and public holidays from 8:00 to 20:00. Download the Barmer Teledoktor-App or call directly on the toll-free number 0800 333 560 from within Germany. If you are calling from outside Germany, please dial the number +49 202 568 3333 560*.
*) Charges may apply according to the tariff of your telephone network provider
Your personal online service centre. With the Barmer-App and Meine Barmer, you can easily manage your health insurance online – quickly and securely from wherever you are in the world. You can access the Meine Barmer online service centre directly from the Barmer website – or via the Barmer-App from a mobile device. As a registered user of our online service centre, you can:
Would you like to know more? Simply contact us for further support.
You only need to register once – for either the Barmer-App or Meine Barmer. Your username and password can be used for all Barmer online services and digital offers. Currently, the registration process for our online services is only available in German. If you require further support, our English Service Hotline is available on 0800 333 0060 (from abroad, +49 202 568 333 0060) – our customer service advisors are always happy to assist you.*
* On weekdays from 8:01 PM to 6:59 AM, weekends and national public holidays, our telephone hotline is operated by our partner asf gmbh. The company’s team is specially trained in matters surrounding social insurance. We have specifically chosen them to ensure that you receive the best service possible outside of our business hours. The protection of your data is of course ensured.
It’s easy. When you apply for Barmer membership, a personal contact partner will support you to set up everything you need. There are a few different ways to submit your photo for the e-health card, and we’ll let you know the best option depending on where you are in the world when you apply. You can also call our English Service Hotline, and we’ll send you a special upload code.
Everybody who has public health insurance in Germany receives such a card: The electronic health insurance card. This card is personalized. It includes your name and your health insurance provider – for example Barmer.
Your personal ID for emergency medical services in Europe. Your EHIC is located on the back of your Barmer e-health card. It will assist you in most EU countries to receive emergency medical treatment. The EHIC works the same way as the e-health card – show your card to the doctor and the costs are billed directly to Barmer. But some doctors will ask you to pay upfront, and if this happens, you’ll have to settle the costs directly with the doctor and then send Barmer the invoice for reimbursement.
Important: Barmer can only cover costs if the medical services you receive are also included in the public healthcare system of that country. And we only reimburse the amount that the same treatment would cost in Germany. Medical repatriation as well as search and rescue services are not covered by the EHIC. To protect your financial security, it’s important to take out an additional travel health insurance when travelling outside Germany.
When is public health insurance mandatory? And what are the contribution rates for barmer? Here you will find all the answers to frequently asked questions for employees, students, families and self-employed.
For further information simply call our English Service Hotline on 0800 333 0060* (and +49 202 568 333 0060* from abroad).
