Praxisgebühren
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Praxisgebühren referes to the extra free payable to the doctors in Germany. This fee actually goes to the the health insurance company (Krankenkasse) and does not go into the doctor's pocket. It is believed that praxisgebühren were introduced to curb the German culture of needlessly visiting the doctor for every little complaint. | Praxisgebühren referes to the extra free payable to the doctors in Germany. This fee actually goes to the the health insurance company (Krankenkasse) and does not go into the doctor's pocket. It is believed that praxisgebühren were introduced to curb the German culture of needlessly visiting the doctor for every little complaint. | ||
| - | As of Feb 2006, it amounts to €10 and is to be paid only by adults on the first visit to the doctor in a given quarter. A quarter--called ''Quartal'' in German--refers to 1/4 division of the calendar year (quarter 1: | + | As of Feb 2006, it amounts to €10 and is to be paid only by adults on the first visit to the doctor in a given quarter. A quarter--called ''Quartal'' in German--refers to 1/4 division of the calendar year (quarter 1: {Jan,Feb,Mar}, quarter 2: {Apr, May, Jun}, quarter 3: {Jul, Aug, Sep}, quarter 4: {Oct, Nov, Dec}). Subsequent visits to the doctor within the same quarter are covered by the one-time praxis gebühr. Visit to ''other'' doctors (except dentists) within the same quarter are also covered, but require a reference, or ''überweisung'', from the first doctor. If you don't visit a doctor at all during a quarter, you don't need to pay any praxisgebühr. The following example explains the situation: |
Imagine that you don't visit a doctor at all during a particular quarter. In that case you only pay your regular monthly health insurance, nothing more. If you visit a doctor, say a general physician, sometime in February, then you first need to pay €10 praxisgebühr at his clinic before he examines you. Having made the payment, you will not be required to pay again for subsequent visits till the end of the quarter, i.e. end of March. If you also need to see an eye specialist during this time, then you need to go to the doctor whom you paid the €10, and ask for an überweisung. You can then take this überweisung to the eye specialist and get yourself examined without paying. Had you gone to the eye specialist first instead of the general physician, then you would have paid the eye specialist €10, and asked him for an überweisung for visiting the general physician. For every type of doctor that you need to visit during the quarter, you will need an überweisung from the first doctor, but this doesn't include dentists, and you will have to pay the dentist €10 separately. However, once you pay one dentist, you can get an überweisung which would be valid only for other specialist dentists. | Imagine that you don't visit a doctor at all during a particular quarter. In that case you only pay your regular monthly health insurance, nothing more. If you visit a doctor, say a general physician, sometime in February, then you first need to pay €10 praxisgebühr at his clinic before he examines you. Having made the payment, you will not be required to pay again for subsequent visits till the end of the quarter, i.e. end of March. If you also need to see an eye specialist during this time, then you need to go to the doctor whom you paid the €10, and ask for an überweisung. You can then take this überweisung to the eye specialist and get yourself examined without paying. Had you gone to the eye specialist first instead of the general physician, then you would have paid the eye specialist €10, and asked him for an überweisung for visiting the general physician. For every type of doctor that you need to visit during the quarter, you will need an überweisung from the first doctor, but this doesn't include dentists, and you will have to pay the dentist €10 separately. However, once you pay one dentist, you can get an überweisung which would be valid only for other specialist dentists. | ||
If you fall ill after the end of the quarter, say in April, then the praxisgebühr you paid earlier will no longer be valid since April lies in the 2nd quarter, and the above procedure will have to be repeated. | If you fall ill after the end of the quarter, say in April, then the praxisgebühr you paid earlier will no longer be valid since April lies in the 2nd quarter, and the above procedure will have to be repeated. | ||
Revision as of 20:55, 15 February 2006
Praxisgebühren referes to the extra free payable to the doctors in Germany. This fee actually goes to the the health insurance company (Krankenkasse) and does not go into the doctor's pocket. It is believed that praxisgebühren were introduced to curb the German culture of needlessly visiting the doctor for every little complaint.
As of Feb 2006, it amounts to €10 and is to be paid only by adults on the first visit to the doctor in a given quarter. A quarter--called Quartal in German--refers to 1/4 division of the calendar year (quarter 1: {Jan,Feb,Mar}, quarter 2: {Apr, May, Jun}, quarter 3: {Jul, Aug, Sep}, quarter 4: {Oct, Nov, Dec}). Subsequent visits to the doctor within the same quarter are covered by the one-time praxis gebühr. Visit to other doctors (except dentists) within the same quarter are also covered, but require a reference, or überweisung, from the first doctor. If you don't visit a doctor at all during a quarter, you don't need to pay any praxisgebühr. The following example explains the situation:
Imagine that you don't visit a doctor at all during a particular quarter. In that case you only pay your regular monthly health insurance, nothing more. If you visit a doctor, say a general physician, sometime in February, then you first need to pay €10 praxisgebühr at his clinic before he examines you. Having made the payment, you will not be required to pay again for subsequent visits till the end of the quarter, i.e. end of March. If you also need to see an eye specialist during this time, then you need to go to the doctor whom you paid the €10, and ask for an überweisung. You can then take this überweisung to the eye specialist and get yourself examined without paying. Had you gone to the eye specialist first instead of the general physician, then you would have paid the eye specialist €10, and asked him for an überweisung for visiting the general physician. For every type of doctor that you need to visit during the quarter, you will need an überweisung from the first doctor, but this doesn't include dentists, and you will have to pay the dentist €10 separately. However, once you pay one dentist, you can get an überweisung which would be valid only for other specialist dentists.
If you fall ill after the end of the quarter, say in April, then the praxisgebühr you paid earlier will no longer be valid since April lies in the 2nd quarter, and the above procedure will have to be repeated.
