Cost absorption of acupuncture
If you suffer from knee arthrosis, acupuncture treatment is one of the measures to get chronic pain under control. In many cases, the statutory health insurance (GKV) covers this therapy of knee arthrosis. In contrast to many other areas, the GKV has included acupuncture for knee arthrosis in its catalog for certain indications.
If chronic pain, often caused by knee arthrosis, is present in at least one knee joint, the SHI will pay for acupuncture treatment, among other things. However, in addition to chronic pain, other criteria must also be met. For example, the person treating the patient must be a licensed physician and have a high-quality, secure education or training in the field of acupuncture.In addition, appropriate skills in the sub-fields of pain medicine and psychosomatic medicine must be demonstrated.
Treatment of knee arthrosis with acupuncture, which is carried out by alternative practitioners, is therefore not covered by the SHI. The paid service by the GKV includes 10 sessions, which must take place within 6, sometimes also 12 weeks and are only approved once a year. This treatment of knee arthrosis should be discussed with the SHI.
The decision of the GKV is based on the fact that – apart from the lower back – the only scientifically proven effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic pain was found in the knee. A private health insurance (PKV) will also pay for acupuncture for knee arthrosis in certain cases. When taking out insurance, one should not only pay attention to whether the costs of acupuncture are covered, but also which symptoms are covered by the private health insurance.
In contrast to the statutory health insurance, where the indications for which the costs are covered are clearly defined, you have to find the appropriate tariff with the private health insurance yourself. The type of practitioner, whether acupuncture for knee arthrosis is performed by an alternative practitioner or a physician, can also influence the payment of costs by the private health insurance. However, the areas of application for which the costs are paid are usually much more diverse with the private health insurance than with the statutory health insurance.
In general, one should inform oneself in advance whether and to what extent the insurance tariff at hand covers acupuncture for knee arthrosis. Information on this can be found for each private health insurance company on the Internet or through the respective consultants.
