Techniker Krankenkasse reimburses homeopathy

Techniker Krankenkassen reimburses from January the costs of the entire medical homeopathy

12/16/2011

From the new year 2012, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) reimburses the costs of its insured for medicines of homeopathy, phytotherapy and anthroposophic medicine. The GKV supply structure law makes this possible, health insurance companies can offer pharmacy-only over-the-counter medicines as of 1 January as a statutory benefit. „The German Central Association of Homeopathic Physicians (DZVhÄ) welcomes this decision of the Techniker Krankenkasse, which now covers the entire therapy costs of medical homeopathy“, says Silvia Nuvoloni-Buhl, second chair of the DZVhÄ. Since 2007, TK has already been reimbursing the costs of homeopathic treatment to contracted doctors with the DZVhÄ's homeopathic diploma under a contract for integrated care (IV) with the DZVhÄ management company. Physicians can now issue a green prescription or a private prescription to their patients from 1 January. The insured must go in advance and get back from the TK the cost of the prescribed homeopathic remedy. TK will pay 100 percent of the costs for the medicines for the special therapy directions up to a maximum amount per insured person of 100 euros per calendar year.

Since 2004, prescription-free but pharmacy-only medicines have been excluded from the reimbursement of the funds. „The prescription requirement as criterion for the reimbursement to the detriment of the GKV is not good“, judges Nuvoloni-Buhl, „since all registered or approved drugs must be available to sick people. Also, the prescription of an agent with its possible side effects is justified - not with its effectiveness.“ The reason for the exclusion 2004: With the help of the health modernization law (GMG) millions should be saved, therefore the non-prescription remedies were taken from the reimbursement: For the homeopathic remedies an exception regulation was provided, in summer 2003 it was called in the draft of the GMG in the § 34: „These medicines account for less than 1% of the statutory health insurance expenditures and, due to their low costs, contribute to the cost-effectiveness of the statutory health insurance.“ (Pm)

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