Fahrkosten

If you need transportation in connection with a health insurance benefit for compelling medical reasons, your health insurance company will in many cases cover the travel costs.

The statutory health insurance funds cover travel costs if they are medically necessary in connection with a health insurance benefit. This includes journeys to inpatient hospital treatment, ambulance journeys and ambulance transportation, which are carried out in the event of life-threatening illnesses or other serious illnesses requiring first aid.

Patient transportation includes journeys for other illnesses that require accompaniment by medical personnel or the special equipment of an ambulance, for example, horizontal transportation.

Patient transportation includes any other journey for a sick person, e.g. by cab.

NOTE: Do not confuse patient transportation with "call an ambulance", which you order in an acute emergency.

Regulation for the transportation of sick persons

If you or a relative require transportation in connection with a health insurance benefit for compelling medical reasons, the health insurance fund will cover the travel costs for

• Services that are provided on an inpatient basis,
• ambulance trips to hospital even if inpatient treatment is not required,
• other journeys by insured persons who require specialist care or the special facilities of an ambulance during the journey or for whom this is to be expected due to their condition, and
• journeys of insured persons to outpatient treatment, to pre- or post-inpatient treatment or to outpatient surgery in hospital, if this avoids or shortens a necessary full or partial inpatient hospital treatment or if this cannot be carried out.

Please note that travel costs for outpatient treatment are only covered by the health insurance fund with prior approval. Prescriptions requiring approval must be submitted to the health insurance fund in good time. The duration and scope (e.g. means of transportation, outward and return journey) of the approval are determined by the health insurance fund. In case of doubt, you will have to pay for any transportation services that you arrange without consulting your health insurance fund.

The full or partial assumption of the costs incurred depends on the conditions of the individual case.

If a doctor certifies the medical necessity of the transport ("prescription for patient transport"), the costs are usually covered by the health insurance companies, except for a small contribution of at least 5 euros and a maximum of 10 euros (generally 10 percent of the fare).

• Obtain a "medical transportation prescription" from your doctor and carry it with you on every journey so that you can show it to the driver
• For outpatient treatment: Have the prescription approved by the responsible health insurance company. This is mandatory in order to get the costs reimbursed.
• For outpatient treatment: Have the travel costs reimbursed by the health insurance company
• After the corresponding journey, submit the medical prescription to your health insurance company for settlement

Prior to outpatient treatment, approval must be obtained from the health insurance company.

An entitlement to travel to outpatient treatment as well as pre- and post-inpatient hospital treatment, including outpatient surgery, can be approved if this avoids or shortens inpatient treatment or if it cannot be carried out. Otherwise, travel costs for outpatient treatment can only be covered in exceptional cases (e.g. dialysis treatment, chemotherapy).

It is possible to appeal against the decision of your health insurance company.

In principle, all patient transportation and ambulance journeys required for medical reasons as well as rescue journeys are deemed to be patient transportation services. Travel costs in connection with medical services are covered by the health insurance companies.

Please contact your health insurance company in good time if you are entitled to reimbursement of the costs of patient transportation.