Travel costs

• 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

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

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.

Regulation for the transportation of sick persons

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).

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

• § Section 60 of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V)
• § Section 61 of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V)

It is possible to appeal against the decision of your 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).

04.02.2020