Is Medical Treatment in Germany Really Worth Applying For?

Germany is constantly in the TOP 3 of countries that provide medical services to a large number of international patients. The country is famous for high-tech surgical interventions, state-of-art equipment, and innovative drugs. A large number of clinical trials take place on the basis of German healthcare institutions, so patients can try cutting-edge treatment techniques for free.

Germany is constantly in the TOP 3 of countries that provide medical services to a large number of international patients. The country is famous for high-tech surgical interventions, state-of-art equipment, and innovative drugs. A large number of clinical trials take place on the basis of German healthcare institutions, so patients can try cutting-edge treatment techniques for free.

In addition, Germany pays special attention to the improvement of the system of medical care for foreigners. In 2019, Temos International Healthcare Accreditation standards “Quality in International Patient Care” and “Excellence in Medical Tourism” achieved the ISQua accreditation in the country.

Nevertheless, receiving medical treatment in Germany may be somewhat unusual for an international patient. Clinics abroad have peculiarities in rules of patient admission and treatment protocols. Also, an international patient should not forget about issuing a visa, arranging travel to the clinic, taking care of medical documents translation, etc. Thus, it is better to consider all possible pros and cons of the treatment abroad in advance.

Structure of the German healthcare system

Germany takes the 3rd place in the global scope regarding the number of qualified medical doctors and professors. Today the country has approximately 4 healthcare professionals per 1000 of the population. This is possible due to the decent financing of the healthcare system – over 11% of GDP is invested into its development annually.

German citizens can receive medical treatment in different healthcare institutions:

• University hospitals.
• Municipal (academic) hospitals.
• Private praxes.

Some of them are intended for providing help in emergency and life-threatening situations (such hospitals have the intensive care unit), others offer the routine medical services. This structure is well-designed in order to be efficient and fast. For instance, there is no need to admit a patient with usual pneumonia to the specialized pulmonological department of the university hospital. And otherwise, it is better to seek for the high-tech neurosurgical care in case of a brain aneurysm, as usual neurologist will not be able to offer the problem decision.

Each hospital has individual statistics on the number of performed diagnostic procedures and surgeries, success rates and risks of complications. Comparing this data is extremely helpful in choosing the most appropriate healthcare facility.

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Leading hospitals for medical treatment in Germany

Beyond all doubt, large university hospitals are the most popular among people, who seek treatment abroad. They usually include over 30 general and specialized departments, e.g. department of diabetology or epileptology. In addition, university hospitals can afford expensive high-tech medical equipment, e.g. Gamma knife, and Cyberknife, Visualase neurosurgical system, devices for the proton therapy.

Among the leading university hospitals, which have the best statistical data and patients’ reviews, we should mention:

• Charite University Hospital Berlin includes over 100 departments and specialized centers. The hospital is famous worldwide due to brilliant neurosurgical interventions, cancer treatment and restoring the health of patients with epilepsy.
• University Hospital RWTH Aachen is the university hospital of maximum care. The hospital is particularly known for the research in the field of medical visualization – safe fluorescence-based techniques of medical imaging.
• University Hospital Bonn has numerous prestige local and international quality certificates. For example, the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the hospital is regularly mentioned among Cancer Centers of Excellence.

Seeking medical help in university hospitals is not the only optimal option. In certain clinical situations, academic clinics or praxes will be more beneficial. For instance, praxes are usually more comfortable for parents with children.

Cost of medical treatment and diagnostic procedures

In Germany, prices for the medical services are regulated by the law, on the state level. The integrated catalog G-DRG (German Diagnostic-Related Group) contains codes of all procedures and their fixed prices. A patient may pay extra fees for a VIP room or treatment by the chief physician. Also, international patients may have to pay an extra GOÄ fee that increases the cost of treatment up to 2 times. Treatment costs in Germany are significantly lower compared to the USA and higher compared to developing countries.

Basically, the final cost of medical services in a German clinic depends on the following aspects:

• Type of the procedure (e.g. laboratory test, MRI/CT/PET, surgical intervention, etc.) and its G-DRG code.
• Patient’s general state, presence of concomitant pathologies.
• Level of the hospital (e.g. university hospital, academic hospital, private praxis).
• Treatment by the head physician, professor or ordinary doctor.
• Type of the room and additional non-medical services.

International health insurance may cover certain procedures, you should specify this question with your insurance provider in advance. For instance, you can get free medical services if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Also, it is better to pay attention to the range of offered therapy options. Unfortunately, insurance companies often disregard the possibilities of the local healthcare system, providing clients with conventional and cheaper procedures.

Pros and cons of treatment in Germany

Obvious benefits of undergoing treatment in the leading German clinics include:

• Precise diagnostic procedures, including the laboratory, functional and visualizing techniques.
• High treatment efficiency, preference to minimally invasive and sparing treatment techniques.
• Availability of innovative drugs and equipment, the possibility to take part in clinical trials.
• Work with highly specialized doctors, who are experts in the treatment of epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases, specific cancer types, etc.
• Responsible approach to rehabilitation procedures and improving patient’s life quality.
• High level of comfort during the treatment.

The same time, a patient should remember about the possible obstacles, like:

• Receiving an invitation for treatment from the hospital, as not all hospitals admit foreigners willingly.
• Arranging a journey to Germany which may be difficult for a sick person.
• Translating medical reports, communication with doctors with the help of an interpreter.
• Booking appropriate accommodation for an accompanying person.
• Paying additional fees for non-residents, taking care about the health insurance.

Arrangement of treatment in Germany

If you are planning to undergo medical treatment in Germany, is better to use the help of the professionals and avoid all the obstacles. Booking Health is the only medical tourism operator whose work complies with the strict ISO certification rules. In accordance with the demands of certificate ISO 9001:2015, specialists of Booking Health will help you in:

• Choosing the clinic and receiving an invitation for treatment.
• Preparing preliminary diagnostic or treatment program in advance.
• Providing favorable costs for all services, without overpricing or additional fees (saving up to 50%).
• Booking the appointment on the convenient date, avoiding long waiting lists.
• Help in buying and forwarding drugs and medical materials.
• Control of prices, invoices and return of unspent funds.
• Organization of rehabilitation and additional examinations, if necessary.
• Booking hotels and plane tickets, transfer organization.
• Documents translation and interpreter support.

To start a process of getting treatment abroad, please, leave the request on the official website of Booking Health. Medical advisor or coordinator will contact you the same day, guiding through all further steps.