The term “Private Doctor” (Wahlarzt) refers to your right as a patient to freely choose your doctor. Private doctors are self-employed professionals who do not have contracts with health insurance providers.
The main advantage of a private doctor is that they do not receive fixed payments from health insurance companies, allowing them to spend more time with their patients. A private doctor has the freedom to decide how many patients to treat, which enables them to dedicate more time to thorough diagnosis and personalized care. Appointments can also be arranged quickly and flexibly, including evenings and weekends.
Private doctors are not bound by the service offerings of social health insurance and can therefore provide many special services and alternative medical treatments that contribute to more efficient recovery.
Since private doctors do not have contracts with social health insurance and are not paid by them, they issue a private invoice for their services. Patients initially pay this bill themselves, but they can submit it to their health insurance company for reimbursement. Generally, patients are entitled to a refund of up to 80% of the amount a doctor with a contract receives for the same services. However, for services not included in the tariff catalog of the respective insurance company, no reimbursement is provided. This includes treatments such as hyaluronic joint injections, complementary medical services, certificates, travel prophylaxis, or fitness assessments. These services may be covered by private supplementary insurance in some cases.
With supplementary insurance (private health insurance) for outpatient services, you may be reimbursed for the remaining costs not covered by your health insurer. Additionally, these insurances often cover honoraria for medical services not included in the statutory health insurance.