The following information applies to citizens of EU States, as well as citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, who are spending time abroad.
Health insurance during short visits If you are insured privately or are covered by statutory insurance you may make use of the health services in other EU States, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and have the costs reimbursed by your health insurance provider. In cases of out-patient treatment, you can choose whether you wish to be treated in Germany or in another Member State. If you consult a doctor or use other medical services within the European Union you will initially have to pay the costs of the treatment on the spot and then submit the receipts to your insurance provider in your own country. The costs will then be reimbursed at the same level as they would if they had been incurred for treatment at home; any excess costs must be borne by patients themselves. In the case of hospital treatment in another Member State, the agreement of the health insurance scheme must be obtained in advance. This may only be refused if you could obtain the same or equally effective treatment at the same general standard of medical you and your family are only staying in another countryknowledge in good time at a hospital in Germany. Extended health insurance cover comes into force if you are covered by statutory health insurance and on a temporary basis - on holiday or business. In case of illness you are eligible for services that are necessary medically, including hospital treatment.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
To facilitate treatment during temporary visits abroad, every health insurance scheme is obliged to issue its members with a European Health Insurance Card. In case of illness in another EU country, or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, medical services are provided according to the laws of the host country and reimbursed according to the charges applying there: by presenting the card, patients are eligible both for services which are free of charge in the host country as well as for free medical treatment. Costs for services which usually incur charges in the host country will be covered by the health insurance scheme on presentation of the insurance card.
However, the EHIC only has limited scope. It is valid:
- for temporary visits abroad
- for necessary medical services
- not for trips abroad specifi cally for the purpose of treatment
- not for the costs incurred in transporting an invalid home
EU Citizens: extended visits abroad
An extended visit abroad is one that lasts longer than a holiday or business trip or attending a conference, such as a guest professorship or research visit for a semester or a year. If you are staying abroad within the European Union, or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, instead of the European Health Insurance Card, the following applies: If you are entitled to statutory health insurance at home, then your domestic health insurance provider will issue Form E106 on request. Form E106 entitles you and your family members to register with a German health insurance scheme. The German health insurance scheme will then provide all the services to which a German user would also be entitled. The German health insurance scheme will subsequently invoice your domestic health insurance provider for their costs.
If you are entitled to statutory health insurance in Germany and some members of your family have remained in your own country then the German health insurance provider will issue Form E109 on request. Form E109 allows those members of your family who have stayed at home to make use of the services of the statutory health insurance scheme without having to pay contributions. The domestic health insurance provider will subsequently invoice the German health insurance scheme for their costs.
Quelle: EURAXESS