Germany has an exceptionally high level of care and Berlin is no exception. There are facilities for basic care, high-end medicine, prevention to rehabilitation. Germans in general are concerned with healthy living, despite the prevalence of beer drinking and cigarette smoking. Berlin also has a great breadth of scientific research facilities and labs for pharmaceutical brands such as like Bayer, Pfizer and Berlin-chemie.
The Healthcare System
Germany has Europe's oldest universal health care system. The origins lie in Otto von Bismarck's Social legislation from 1883. Originally only intended for the elderly, low-income, and disabled, these measures have been, Accident Insurance Bill of 1884, and Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889. As mandatory health insurance, these bills originally applied only to low-income workers and certain government employees; their coverage, and expanded to encompass the entire population.
General Practitioner/Doctor
An appointment should be made in advance of a visit. People with public insurance should be able to select a government approved doctor and make an appointment. There is usually only a wait of about a week for a general practitioner, but an appointment with a specialist may take much longer. For acute illnesses or accidents, you will be given an appointment on the same day. Few practices are open on Saturdays, and only emergency services can be accessed on Sundays. Patients pay a quarterly practice fee of 10 euro.
After an exam, patients may be prescribed medication for which they will receive a prescription. A prescribed medication is charged a fixed price of 5 euro per item and will be paid for at the pharmacy.
How to Find a Doctor
Call-a-doc is a useful resource to find an English speaking doctors in the area. You can consult the website, or call: 01804 2255 2362.
Websites like www.aerzte-berlin.de (German) are extremely useful in finding a physician in your area.
Look for recommendations on the English-speaking German forum, Toytown, or check EasyExpat's Germany forum.
Update 6/06/2011
Expatriate health insurance in Germany
With so much to deal with before leaving your home country, (taxes, moving house, paperwork etc.) the careful planning of your expatriation to Berlin is an essential step. As far as healthcare is concerned, your local social security scheme won’t be accompanying you to your host country and, once abroad, you might be surprised by the care system you find in Germany So, before leaving, make sure you have appropriate cover!
Cigna is one of the world's biggest international insurers with more than 30 years' experience in providing global health insurance across 200 countries and territories. They have access to more than 1.65 million hospitals, physicians, clinics and specialists worldwide.
Cigna Global's flexible plans are specifically designed for expats and globally mobile individuals who move to Germany. All their plans can be tailored to your individual requirements in Germany, always finding the right healthcare solution, whatever the situation and budget.
Getting a health insurance quote
Create your perfect plan with Cigna and combine the reassurance of comprehensive inpatient cover with the flexibility of optional extra benefits.
Click on the button to access the online tool and get a quote in 2 minutes.