Introduction
The costs of photodynamic therapy depend on the extent of the treatment and the effort involved. For example, a treatment in dermatology is charged at about 350 EUR per session. In ophthalmology these prices can be even higher.
In most cases the health insurance does not cover these costs and they have to be paid by the patient himself. Since 2003 many dermatologists and skin clinics have been practicing photodynamic therapy. With the further development of photosensitizing substances, skin creams could be developed in dermatology and approved as a drug, which were particularly effective.
Small doses were already sufficient to produce corresponding effects. Photodynamic Therapy has opened up a new treatment method as well as a large economic market, which is generating millions of euros for clinics and physicians in private practice. The reason for this is the partly very high effectiveness (healing rate).
In these cases the costs can be covered by the health insurance
The photodynamic therapy is a relatively new therapeutic branch, therefore the assumption of costs by health insurance companies is not yet completely clarified by law. In principle, the GBA (Joint Federal Committee) defines the framework conditions for the service catalog of the statutory health insurance companies. The GOÄ (Gebührenordnung für Ärzte) is used to calculate the actual costs.
Whether the costs are covered by the health insurance company depends primarily on the illness. However, it also plays a role with which health insurance company one is insured, since some insurance companies offer photodynamic therapy as an additional service. An almost certain assumption of the costs is only possible with private health insurance companies, but even if you are privately insured, you should submit an application for assumption of costs to the insurance company beforehand.
The assumption of costs for eye diseases is already best regulated, so with a few exceptions all costs are covered by the health insurance company, regardless of whether one is privately or legally insured. In the case of skin diseases, on the other hand, it is primarily the dangerousness of the disease that plays a role in the assumption of costs. Dental treatment, on the other hand, is usually not covered. Further topics deal with the costs: Private health insurance
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