More and more self-payer benefits from the doctor doubt the benefits

According to the survey, insured persons have doubts about the benefits of self-payer benefits at the doctor's
In Germany, medical practices offer numerous so-called individual health services (IGeL), which have to be paid for by the patients themselves. A recent survey has shown that about every second insured has doubts about the benefits of such self-payer benefits.
Number of self-pay benefits increased
Cancer screening, tests for sexually transmitted diseases or therapies such as acupuncture: In German medical practices, numerous additional benefits are offered, which must be paid by the patients themselves. As data from the last few years show, the number of patients paying for additional treatment has increased. Health experts have been criticizing for some time that many of these offers do not make sense. Apparently many patients also share this opinion, as a study has now revealed.

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Every second insured doubted the benefits
As the news agency dpa reports, it is clear from a recent Forsa survey commissioned by Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) that almost every second legally insured doubts about the benefits of privately paid benefits to the doctor. The IGeL would rather have no benefit, my 38 percent of respondents. Another 15 percent say that they are by no means beneficial. In addition, one in four respondents felt that sometimes, or frequently, a doctor recommended unnecessary examinations or treatments. Some consumer advocates also see this as warning that patients are often pressured by doctors to buy certain services and, moreover, are poorly informed. (Ad)