Index

How does the German healthcare system work an what do I do if I need to see a doctor?

Generally speaking, you should find yourself a general medical practitioner (family doctor or primary doctor, “Hausarzt” in German) close to your place of residence as soon as you arrive in Erlangen. Make sure that the doctor speaks English (they might say so on their website or you can assume it if the doctor is of younger age). Make an appointment with them shortly after your arrival (via their website or by calling their practice) and ask them to check if you have all necessary vaccinations that are considered standard in Germany. All those vaccinations are covered by your health insurance, meaning that they are free of cost for you. You can trust that all kinds of medical examinations or treatments your doctor carries out are also free of cost. If you are prescribed medication, you only have to pay a small contribution (not more than 5-  10 Euros) when you pick up your prescription at a pharmacy.

Your “Hausarzt” is usually the first doctor you go to see when you are sick. They will examine you and can prescribe medication. They will also come to see you at home if you are so sick that you cannot leave your house. They will refer you to a specialist or a hospital if necessary. Please note that if you have public health insurance (AOK, TK, Barmer etc.) you generally cannot consult with a specialist on your own without your general doctor’s referral. Exceptions from this rule are dentists, gynecologists and ophthalmologist, whom you can make an appointment with without consulting with your general doctor first. Doctor’s practices are usually open between 8 am and 6 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, often with a short break around noon. On Wednesdays, most pratices only open in the morning.

If you urgently need to see a doctor outside of the above consultation hours, but don’t consider your condition to be life-threatening, you can go to the Erlangen Medical Center or one of the Medical Centers (“Bereitschaftspraxis”) in Nürnberg. If you are so sick that you cannot leave the house and need a doctor to come to see you, you can call 116 117 to arrange a doctor’s visit.

All of the above medical doctors/medical institutions can issue you a medical certificate to confirm your inability to participate in an exam if you need to withdraw from a registered examination.

If you find yourself or others in a life-threatening situation, always call an ambulance via the emergency number 112. The costs of the ambulance will be covered by the sick/injured person’s health insurance. You don’t have to fear that you will have to pay for the ambulance yourself. On the other hand, if you see a person in a medical emergency and don’t call an ambulance, criminal charges can be held against you for failure to lend assistance.