FOR PATIENTS
COST INFORMATION – ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COSTS
Transparent costs are your right. However, you will not find any prices on this page. This is because we do not wish to publish them in generalised form. Each treatment varies depending on the surgical speciality and service. Factors such as the complexity or duration of a procedure also play a role. To calculate the price, it is also necessary to know whether you can be treated as an inpatient or outpatient. It is therefore difficult for us to provide generalised information about costs.
You will be informed individually and transparently about the costs during a consultation and treatment. Our specialists are always available for you and you have as long as you need to think about it. Nevertheless, on this page we would like to give you some orientation on the costs and important answers to frequently asked questions.
FOR PATIENTS
QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF COSTS
Do I have to bear the costs of an operation myself, even if I have private health insurance?
If there is a medical indication, private health insurance companies will generally cover the costs of your operation and inpatient stay.
This applies to plastic reconstructive surgery, spinal surgery, orthopaedic surgery including endoprosthetics, gynaecology, hand surgery and dermatology. In some cases, certain cost items are not covered by all insurers. Example: Devices to increase safety during anaesthesia. Please contact our medical specialists. They will support you with the application process.
What options do I have as a person entitled to benefits?
Once the indication for surgery has been established, you will receive one or more cost estimates for your procedure, which you can submit to your private insurance company and the subsidy for clarification. After reviewing and checking the documents, your private insurance company and subsidy will cover the costs. If you have any questions, we will be happy to help you. In order to be able to help you accordingly, we need the information from the reimbursement confirmations provided to you by the private insurance company and the state aid..
You can reach us at abrechnung@ethianum.de or by telephone on 06221 8723-432.
I have statutory health insurance. Will my health insurance cover the costs of the operation?
If you have statutory health insurance, there are two options:
- As a self-payer, you can of course have outpatient and inpatient operations performed by our specialists at the ETHIANUM Heidelberg at your own expense.
- If there is a medical indication, the surgery costs can be covered by statutory health insurance companies. The appointments for consultations and preliminary examinations will then take place at the ETHIANUM Heidelberg. However, you will be admitted as an inpatient and operated on after a waiting period, e.g. at Salem Hospital in Heidelberg or Heidelberg University Hospital (paediatric patients) – but by our doctors.
We will be happy to help you in individual cases.
How is billing for cosmetic surgery carried out?
No health insurance company covers the costs of cosmetic surgery. Some insurance providers even exclude benefits that relate to complications following breast augmentation or breast diseases in breast implant recipients, for example. You should therefore check your health insurance policy to be sure. Please also take this information as a warning if you are seriously considering cosmetic surgery abroad.
If you have had a consultation with one of our plastic surgeons at the ETHIANUM and nothing stands in the way of an aesthetic procedure, you will receive an individual cost estimate in advance. This will include all anticipated costs for anaesthesia, surgery, medication, the doctor’s fee and, if discussed, the inpatient stay.
You can then take your time to decide whether your personal satisfaction and the overall offer are worth the investment. Your advance payment must be received up to ten days before the date of the operation so that the operation can take place as planned.
Make an appointment for a consultation with the expert for your individual case. A written statement regarding the expected costs can then be made on this basis.
Why do the costs include VAT?
The tax authorities generally categorise our services as subject to VAT. Therefore, we must charge you as a client VAT on all services provided by the Ethianum.
How are X-ray or MRI scans at the ETHIANUM billed?
Our in-house radiology department enables us to provide you with X-ray and high-quality MRI scans without long waiting times. While a justifying medical indication is required for X-rays, as radiation is used here, MRI scans are not subject to this regulation. Those with statutory health insurance have the same status as those with private insurance and self-pay patients. They receive an invoice, which they pay and submit to their insurer if necessary.
Why do consultations with doctors cost money?
Before your consultation with the specialist, you must sign a treatment contract. This informs you that the doctor’s services, from the examination to the consultation, are subject to a fee. The doctor himself determines the fee for the consultation. Conversely, you benefit enormously from the fact that your doctor takes time for you and brings all his expertise to bear in order to recommend the best course of treatment for you.
This is unusual for patients with health insurance. However, Section 1 of the GOÄ (German Medical Fee Schedule) stipulates that you give your consent to the costs in advance through the treatment contract and that you are aware that you will have to pay these on your own account.
