Many health insurance companies offer extra services

Health insurance companies with more extra services

08/19/2014

As the law envisages in Germany, all health insurance companies must offer the same basic services. But they are also allowed to offer extra services, which more and more funds do. And to an ever greater extent, as the Stiftung Warentest has determined.

More extra benefits for insured
Even though all health insurances in this country have to offer the same primary care according to the law, this does not rule out that they are allowed to offer extra services. More and more funds are doing this and more and more, as the Stiftung Warentest according to a message from the news agency dpa has determined. Accordingly, more and more statutory health insurance companies have extra benefits for their insured in the program. Some funds are particularly family-friendly, others attach more importance to prevention offers or look after their members particularly well.

Twice as many funds offer sports medical examination
Stiftung Warentest has examined the offer of a total of 82 health insurances with about 96 percent of the legally insured persons in Germany. Of these, for example, 33 funds for the seriously ill provide a second opinion from a designated specialist. A year ago, only eleven did so. Furthermore, 27 offer a sports medical examination. Like the magazine „Finanztest“ (Issue 09/2014), these are twice as many as last year.

Participation in costs for health courses
Meanwhile, most health insurances also offer participation in the costs of two health courses each in the areas of stress management, exercise, nutrition and addiction prevention. In the past, consumer centers have also pointed out that it may be worthwhile to look for possible financial support in the field of dental health when choosing a health insurance company, since the professional tooth cleaning (PZR) in the form of prophylaxis is now often subsidized.

Consumers should consider their claims
The extended offer catalog also includes medical hotlines and the placement of specialist appointments. However, Sabine Baierl-Johna of „Finanztest“ on: „There are so many ways in which health insurance companies can offer benefits, but in fact, there is no cash register that has the maximum in all areas.“ Consumers should therefore think carefully about what they should use. „For example, if you need a foreign travel vaccination, that can cost as much as 100 euros - that's how much it would be worth“, so Baierl-Johna. „Or you may have back pain and want to get osteopathic treatment, since pay some health insurance very much, up to 600 € per year.“ (Ad)