Health insurance reimbursed osteopathy treatment

Health insurance starts model project: Osteopathy treatments are reimbursed.
On the first of October, the first statutory health insurance company launched the model project Osteopathy. The BKK of Thüringer Energieversorgung (BKK ThEV) reimburses its members accordingly § 63, para. 2 of the Fifth Social Code, the costs of treating osteopathy in the context of five therapy sessions with an own contribution of ten percent. This should be a maximum of 30 euros and only applies to people over 18 years old.

However, the treating osteopathic therapist must be a member of Osteopathic Germany e.V. (VOD). The VOD is the largest association for osteopathy in Germany and only accepts therapists who have completed osteopathy with at least 1,350 hours in Germany for at least five years and who regularly receive further training. In addition to the VOD, the model project will be accompanied by the Institute for Prevention and Health Promotion at the University of Duisburg-Essen. According to statements by the BKK ThEV, this scientific authority should demonstrate the effectiveness of osteopathy and maintain control over the fact that the paid treatments are only carried out by quality-assured therapists. Osteopathy is a concept that was founded over 100 years ago by the American physician Arthur Taylor Still and with the hands of tissue and tension qualities are detected and treated.

So far, osteopathic treatments are only taken over by supplementary insurance, the subsidy or private health insurers (PKV). Most are musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain, neck tension or shoulder pain, which are occasions for osteopathic treatment. In addition, there is the treatment of the organs by the visceral osteopathy and the so-called craniosacral system, but only a few people are known. In a recent study published by the German Medical Association, osteopathic procedures had been investigated and evaluated. (tf, 18.10.2010)