Online doctor Germany 2023
Online doctor Germany provides an excellent opportunity to obtain cutting-edge medical care without having to wait in a clinic or at the doctor’s office or even travelling to Germany!
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about online doctors in Germany, including insurance, prescriptions, the best platforms, and more!
About Online doctor Germany
Under certain conditions, doctors in Germany have the opportunity to treat their patients – at least in part – via video consultation. Organization and technical requirements are simple.
In which cases are online consultations possible in Germany?
In addition to the classic visit to the doctor, video consultations are also regularly possible for the following treatments, prescriptions or courses:
- Midwives are allowed to provide advice via video telephony even after the end of the special regulations . This is possible , for example, in individual preliminary talks and informational talks or to collect basic data from patients.
The video call must be technically feasible in real time, and no additional expenditures should be incurred by the insured women (e.g. for specific software). Midwives should also guarantee a secluded setting. Birth preparation and postoperative courses can also be delivered digitally live. A transitional arrangement is now in effect until September 30, 2022. Following that, video consultation should become a standard service for those with statutory health insurance.
- Psychotherapy if a personal initial contact for initial diagnostics, indication and information has already taken place and direct personal contact with the patient is not necessary from a therapeutic point of view. Therapy via video is also possible for acute treatments and group therapies, but not for psychotherapeutic consultations and probatory sessions (neuropsychological therapies). There is an upper limit of 30 percent per quarter for all services possible via video.
- Prevention courses from health insurance companies can often also be conducted via video. These are often offers that have been checked and certified by the Central Prevention Testing Center.
- Dentists. Video consultation hours at the dentist have been possible since October 2020. Initially, this only applies to insured persons with a nursing degree or with disabilities if they receive integration assistance. For example, the initial contact with the dentist can be made via video without much effort, as can the follow-up check of a treatment or an initial consultation on the fitting of prostheses. Video case conferences between dentists and staff are also possible in nursing homes to clarify the treatment needs of nursing home residents.
Does insurance cover online doctor Germany?
If a doctor also treats her legally insured patients via video consultation, this is basically a health insurance benefit for which the insured do not have to pay extra.
The availability of online doctor consultation is entirely dependent on your health insurance provider.
Best online doctor Germany platforms
In Germany, Teleclinic , Kry and Zava are among the well-known and larger providers who offer a virtual doctor’s visit on their own platform . In order to use the video consultation with the providers, patients must first install an app.
Fernarzt also offers video consultations. To book an appointment, you need to set up a user account for all of them. The doctor will contact you via video call for the appointment itself.
Zava and Fernarzt also have the option on the website for patients to request a prescription and answer a few relevant health questions. A doctor looks at the inquiries, contacts the patient via their account if necessary and issues a prescription if there is nothing wrong with it from a medical point of view. The prescription is often sent electronically to a pharmacy, which then sends the medication to the patient.
How to Work as a Foreign Doctor in Germany
Portals such as Doctolib , Jameda or Dr. Flex lists doctors who offer video consultations. Insured persons can often book an appointment for the video consultation via the portal. If your own doctor is already listed there, patients can book a video consultation with the doctor in Germany via the portal or otherwise choose another practitioner.
Can online doctor in Germany issue prescriptions?
Some health insurance allow insured people to utilize the complete breadth of online guidance, but only for selected medical specialties or special offers, such as midwifery care. Teledoctors are also permitted to provide sick notes and medications in some collaborations.
In most circumstances, teledoctors issue private prescriptions, which require the insured to pay for the medication themselves. A standard electronic cash register prescription is still not available everywhere. The Federal Ministry of Health has prolonged the testing phase until 2022. However, e-prescriptions for prescription medications are set to become mandatory across the country this year.
Pharmacies in Germany Full Guide
Electronic sick leave should be gradually implemented beginning in 2021, first between the doctor and the health insurance company, and then between the health insurance company and the employer beginning in 2022.
However, only a few medical practices are already transmitting their patients’ sick notes to health insurance providers online.
Important: If your doctor gives you a printed copy of the certificate, you still have to send it to the cash register by post as usual.
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