Going to the Doctor in Munich - A step-by-step guide.

The Public Healthcare system in Germany is really amazing when it comes to getting regular preventive checkups and unbelievably good emergency care. Where I find it lacking is the zone of sickness that falls between these two opposite ends of medical treatment. Only when you are on death's door will you receive an antibiotic otherwise you will be sent home with nothing but an Ibuprofen and herbal tea recommendations to alleviate your symptoms. My biggest takeout is that unless you have the immune system of a Viking Warrior, or don't mind undergoing years of general illness to get said immune system, don't move to Germany.

How the Public Healthcare System is Structured

Germany's Public Healthcare system is based on the principle of solidarity, where everyone contributes based on their income to ensure universal coverage and fair access to healthcare for all. Here is a simple outline of the structure:

1. Mandatory Health Insurance:

   1. All citizens and residents are required to have health insurance.

   2. Employees and employers contribute through payroll taxes, while self-employed and unemployed individuals pay premiums based on their income.

2. Dual System:

   1. The healthcare system consists of Public or Statutory Health insurance and Private Health insurance. In this post, I discuss Public Healthcare only.

   2. The majority of the population is covered under the statutory system, around 90% that is.

3. Comprehensive Coverage:

   1. The Public Health insurance system covers all necessary medical treatments, including doctor visits, hospital stays, medications, maternity care, and rehabilitation services.

   2. Preventative measures, like screenings and vaccinations, are also included to promote health and early detection of illnesses.

How it works

Your doctor or general practitioner "Allgemeinarzt or Hausarzt" is always your first point of call for everything. It is essential to clarify what the local general and emergency protocols are for you with your Hausarzt. The Hausarzt will be able to explain to you exactly how general and emergency care will work. They can refer you to a specialist and prescribe medications. They will do all your preventative checkups and vaccinations. Most prescriptions are fully covered and only some require small co-payments. This depends on the Script "Rezept" you receive. Scripts can be collected from a Pharmacy only which are locally called "Apotheke". There are four script options:

1. Green Prescription:

   1. This is usually a recommendation for non-prescription medicines or alternative medicines.

   2. You will pay the full cost.

   3. Valid Indefinitely.

2. Pink Prescription:

   1. These include medicines that are covered by your Public Health Care Provider and are the most common.

   2. You can sometimes have a small co-payment with these depending on what is prescribed.

   3. The script is valid for 28 days.

3. Yellow Prescription:

   1. Prescribed for drugs that are subject to narcotics regulations.

   2. You can sometimes have a small co-payment with these depending on what is prescribed.

   3. Valid for 7 days.

4. Blue Prescription:

   1. Usually only for private patients or self-paying patients.

   2. You will have to pay for the prescribed medication yourself and if you are privately insured claim back from your healthcare provider.

   3. The script is valid for 3 months.

Providers

There are many Public Health Care options, the provider we chose is Techniker Krankenkasse, as they are the largest health insurance fund in Germany and offer a lot of information and assistance in English. You can sign up with them in English here. As my husband is the one who is working, his contribution is deducted monthly from his salary and then my son and myself are automatically included in his cover. Get a list of Public Healthcare Providers here.

Booking Appointments

I use two options here and have always found a GP who speaks English:

1. TK offers this search option to look for doctors they cover where you can filter by doctor type, whether they accept private/public health insurance cards, and what language they speak. Once you have the details you can contact the doctor directly.

2. Doctolib is an app, that is in German but offers an easy way to find providers and book, postpone, or cancel appointments easily.

Note

Your children will see a Pediatrician "Kinderarzt" from birth to 18 years old. They are not allowed to be treated by your doctor.

In summary, Germany's Public Healthcare system is very good in terms of preventative checkups and emergency healthcare. It is mandatory to have cover if you live here and how much you pay depends on how much you earn. The only downside is if you get sick with the common cold or have a stomach bug, you will usually be expected to make a full recovery on your own.

*All information sources are linked directly in the post.

*All information is provided to the best of our knowledge as of January 2024, but we are not liable for its accuracy or completeness.

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