Study in Germany, it is inevitable to get sick, so how to get sick? What kind of medical services can international students enjoy? Followed by a look at the flow of the German foreign student medical procedure foreign students can enjoy those medical benefits?
First of all, let's look at how to get to the doctor
1. These clinics are actually the main place where the doctor makes the diagnosis, kind of like the private clinics in China, which are usually set up in apartment and office buildings.
But there are different subspecialties (usually several doctors in one clinic), so if you're looking for an internist, you'll have to contact the internist's clinic. And usually can not directly see the doctor, have to call to make an appointment to see the doctor, if you are really in a hurry directly to the clinic queue, as soon as there is a doctor has free time, you can immediately arrange to see. Clinics generally have very advanced equipment, and can even accomplish some minor surgery.
And you can choose the doctor and the time you want. s choice of doctor and time. Always remember to bring your insurance policy with you, and the doctor will tell you exactly what fees are waived for you (usually diagnostic fees are fully covered). So don't be afraid to spend money to go to the doctor, in fact you will know how much your insurance can waive the fee before you see the diagnosis, and if you are not satisfied, you can choose another clinic.
2. Take your prescription to a pharmacy
Clinics don't usually sell drugs, but there are certainly pharmacies nearby. Medicines are categorized as prescription and over-the-counter, and prescription medicines can only be purchased with a doctor's certificate. The doctor or the pharmacy will clearly tell you what your insurance will cover.
3. Hospitals (Krankenhaus/Klinik)
If you have a complicated comprehensive examination, surgery, physiotherapy or need observation, hospitalization, emergency treatment, etc., you will need to go to a hospital with a doctor's certificate. The hospital is not responsible for the initial diagnosis. Some people say that this system is too cumbersome, can not be timely treatment, but this system is one of Germany's advanced social system, the patient can freely choose, which can maximize the protection of the interests of the patient, the interests of the various parts of the relationship between the absence of a great deal of regulation can be very effective in preventing corruption and malpractice.
Emergency care will have special procedures, do not worry (you can call the emergency center directly). I've seen many people worry about their chronic illnesses for fear of not being able to pass a medical exam or their insurance company refusing to pay high medical bills.
As far as I know, chronic diseases can also be covered by insurance, but the cost of insurance or the ratio of benefits may change a little later. However, the cost of the insurance or the rate of payment may change a bit later on. Many insurance companies do not require a medical certificate to insure a student who has just arrived in Germany, but if you want to change your insurance company, you will usually be asked to show a certificate from your old insurance company, or a health certificate, or a self-assurance letter (guaranteeing that you are not in the period of treatment for any disease at the time of taking out the insurance, and that if you are, it is better for you not to change your insurance company).
So students who are worried about their health don't have to worry too much about insurance, at least ? you won't run into trouble at first. German insurance is a real social security system, and even if you know that you still have a chronic illness in the future, the insurance company will not refuse your request to insure (and especially to renew).
Health insurance: ? In order to live in Germany, you must have health insurance. There are both statutory and private health insurance companies in Germany, and if nothing else is agreed upon, foreign students are always insured by the statutory health insurance companies. If there is no other agreement, foreign students are always insured by the statutory health insurance companies. The statutory health insurance companies have special premiums for students. The insurance provides free treatment by a physician and free or cheaper medication prescribed by a physician.
Then we will look at the German health insurance
Germany's social insurance system began in the Bismarck era, and over the past hundred years, it has gradually built up a health insurance (Krankenversicherung), accident insurance ? (Unfallversicherung), old-age insurance (Rentenversicherung), unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung), nursing care insurance (Pflegeversicherung), social assistance (Sozialhilfe), housing benefit ( Wohngeld), child allowance (Kindergeld) ? and many more different types of social security programs that cover almost all members of society.
For students studying in Germany? students only need to buy health insurance? The German social insurance system is subdivided into statutory and voluntary insurance, with the premiums for statutory insurance being borne by the employer and the employee*** together, and the premiums for voluntary insurance being borne entirely by the individual policyholder. The health insurance system is a part of the social insurance system and is constantly being improved as society advances. In Germany, health insurance consists of two systems: statutory health insurance and private health insurance.
Health insurance participants are divided into compulsory insured persons (Pflichtversicherte) and free insured persons (Freiwilligversicherte). Compulsory insurers are those whose monthly pre-tax income does not exceed the statutory compulsory limit ? (income not higher than 3,750 euros/month in 2010), the employed, the unemployed, retired pensioners, university students and pre-employment trainees, etc., who are obliged to be insured by the statutory health insurance.
Freely insured persons are employed persons, civil servants, freelancers, bosses, lawyers, military personnel, etc., with a monthly pre-tax income above the threshold of the statutory obligation (income above 45,000 euros/year in 2010), who can be insured either by a social health insurance ? companies or private health insurance companies. Freely insured persons who have opted for a private insurance company are not free to withdraw and switch to the statutory health insurance organization.
Comparing the two types of insurance, private health insurance seeks a balance between premiums and risk-taking, and the cost of insurance varies according to age, gender, illness and the scope and rate of reimbursement. Young people, who are in good health, have relatively easy premiums. pleasant, but the elderly, chronically ill, premiums are much more expensive than statutory insurers. So a single young or middle-aged person with a high income may find it much cheaper to buy private medical insurance than to buy statutory medical insurance. However, there is a time limit for enrollment in a private health insurance company, and the premiums will increase after 12 months of enrollment. At the same time, when a person is enrolled in statutory insurance and meets certain conditions, his/her spouse and children are entitled to medical insurance. Private medical insurance, on the other hand, can only be taken out for an individual. Persons insured with a statutory insurer are subject to tax as a percentage of their salary.
Since January 2011, it is charged at 15.5% of the salary, of which the individual bears 7.3% and the employer pays ?8.2%. Private insurance has many advantages over statutory insurance. For example: you can ask for a single room for hospitalization, you can designate a doctor, you don't need to go through a long to appointment to see a doctor and so on. If a person insured by a statutory health insurance company wants to enjoy these benefits as well, he or she has to take out an additional insurance policy. Currently, statutory health insurance companies cover almost 90% of the German population and private health insurance companies cover 9% of the German population. According to statistics from 2009, ? 51.4 million people in Germany pay premiums, plus the family members of the insured about 70 million people are covered by health insurance. This means that the German health insurance system, which is based on statutory health insurance, protects the majority of the population, while at the same time providing for the free choice of the employed person according to his or her own will.
For university students, compulsory insurance is a great benefit. For students under 30 years of age and up to 14 semesters of university study, the statutory health insurance companies offer a special discount of only € 64.77 per month for health insurance. If the student is over 30 years of age or has studied for more than 14 semesters (excluding semester breaks), he/she can choose whether or not to remain insured with the statutory health insurance company, but the premiums will be significantly higher. It should be noted that only students attending a German state university or a state-recognized private institution of higher education are compulsorily insured. Students attending a language school or a private institution of higher education that is not recognized by the German government are not compulsorily insured.