Special therapies: What exactly are "Heilmittel"?
In the German health care system, Heilmittel are defined as medical treatments that
- do not involve the use of medication and are applied to the outside of the body, and
- are paid for by statutory health insurers.
These therapies can be prescribed by a doctor in order to treat an illness, to prevent it from getting worse, or to relieve its symptoms. They may also be used to prevent illnesses from developing in the first place and, for instance, to help prevent developmental disorders in children or dependence on nursing care in elderly people.
The following treatments can be prescribed as Heilmittel by doctors in Germany:
- Occupational therapy (Ergotherapie)
- Physical therapy/physiotherapy (Physiotherapie)
- Speech therapy (Logopädie – including voice and swallowing therapy)
- Podiatry (Podologie)
- Nutritional therapy (Ernährungstherapie)
Who offers these therapies?
Only certified healthcare professionals who have the proper training are allowed to offer these Heilmittel therapies. They mainly include:
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists (physiotherapists)
- Masseurs and hydrotherapists (healthcare professionals who use water to treat medical problems)
- Speech therapists
- Podiatrists (foot care specialists)
- Nutritional therapists
How can you get a "Heilmittel" treatment?
If your doctor thinks that one of these Heilmittel treatments will help, they will give you a prescription. The prescription states how many treatment sessions the doctor has prescribed and how often they should take place (which depends on the illness and the type of treatment). Once you have a prescription, you can make appointments with a suitable healthcare professional. If the symptoms still haven’t gone away after the last appointment, your doctor can prescribe more sessions.
Heilmittel treatments are often part of a treatment plan during a hospital stay. They might be used for rehabilitation purposes, for example. In these cases, statutory health insurers cover all the costs of this treatment. But if you’re prescribed a Heilmittel treatment in an outpatient setting, you have to pay part of the costs yourself: 10 euros plus 10% of the treatment costs per prescription. You don’t have to pay if the prescription is for a child or teenager, though, because statutory health insurers always pay for Heilmittel treatments up until the age of 18.
Normally, the treatment has to start within 28 days of the date on the prescription. Otherwise, the prescription becomes invalid. If the treatment is needed urgently, it must start within 14 days of the date on the prescription. The doctor has to specify this on the prescription. The prescription also becomes invalid if the treatment is stopped for more than 14 days without providing a reason.
The healthcare professionals might also offer treatments that you have to pay for yourself.