A tattoo removal pays the health insurance in extreme cases

Tattoo removal on cash costs due to traumas suffered
If a woman forced into prostitution and traumatized had to have her pimp's initials tattooed on her neck, she would later be able to reimburse the costs of removing the tattoo from the health insurance company. This applies at least when the tattoo is disfiguring or the therapeutic success of mental illness is otherwise endangered, the Düsseldorf Social Court ruled in a verdict published on Tuesday, 11 July 2017 (Ref .: S 27 KR 717/16).

In this case, the applicant was forced by two men to prostitute themselves. The pimps had their initials tattooed on the woman's neck over a large area to mark her connection with her. The woman's martyrdom lasted two and a half years until the police released her.

As a method for tattoo removal, especially the laser technology has proven. (Image: mkrberlin / fotolia.com)

She has been suffering from moderate depression and post-traumatic stress disorder ever since. Although a psychologist as well as doctors of a psychosomatic clinic assumed a good prognosis for healing, the tattoo on the neck had to be removed for this purpose. The tattoo reminds the woman again and again of the traumas suffered during the forced prostitution. Flashbacks are the result.

The woman therefore requested from her health insurance that the costs for tattoo removal are taken. She presented a cost estimate which suggested that 20 sessions could be necessary at a price of € 2,690.

The health insurance company refused, however. The tattoo itself is not a disease. Health insurance companies would have to be responsible only for measures that directly attached to a disease. In addition, the woman could get her traumas with psychotherapy and psychiatric treatments under control.

But the health insurance is here exceptionally obliged to reimbursement, the Social Court in its judgment of January 26, 2017. According to the case law of the Federal Social Court, there is a disease, if the insured in his body functions is impaired or if the anatomical deviation has a disfiguring effect. Both are the case here.

The on the almost whole right side of the neck and forcibly pierced tattoo has disfiguring effect. The plaintiff is not only repeatedly asked that in the "scene" she is so identifiable for persons who know her from forced prostitution.

Also lead the tattoo to a deterioration of body functions. It strengthens the existing mental suffering and brings the traumas suffered again and again in memory. The success prognosis of the therapy depends on the removal of the tattoo. The health insurance would therefore have to reimburse the costs. fle