Almost 70 percent of Germans have a positive attitude toward natural healing methods. More and more sick people visit one of the approximately 7,500 German naturopaths. Natural healing methods have also found their way into many general practitioners’ offices. But anyone who wants to receive homeopathic treatment should first clarify the financing with their health insurance provider. Because he is usually dependent on their goodwill.
Naturopathic treatment on prescription?
According to the Fifth Social Code, the insurance companies must take “special therapy directions” into account appropriately, but there is room for interpretation here. Statutory health insurers generally pay only if the Federal Committee of Physicians and Health Insurers, which must review all medical therapies, explicitly recommends the methods. Private health insurers often pay without this recommendation.
In the case of acupuncture, for example, the insurance companies have left themselves a loophole: they can cover the costs of the popular Chinese needle method as part of model trials for chronic headaches, lower back pain and pain in joint disorders.
Although this approach is also possible in principle for other healing methods, it is not practiced. In addition, a licensed panel physician must prescribe the treatment. The treatment by a heal practitioner is not paid by the statutory health insurers.
Ask your doctor and your health insurance
- Ask your insurance company for a list of reimbursable therapies.
- Discuss with your case worker whether the insurance company will also cover the costs in your case.
- Have your doctor give you a diagnosis and therapy report and submit it to your insurance company.
- Ask the health insurance company for written confirmation of reimbursement before treatment.
- Check with the trusted pharmacist of your health insurance company, which drugs are paid.
- Clarify whether you can participate in a model project that investigates a treatment according to the method you want.
Even if the situation in the German health care system is currently very tight, there are natural healing methods where health insurance companies cover at least part of the cost. However, the extent and duration of the assumption of costs should be discussed in advance in any case.
