If the PKV refuses homeopathy

Private health insurance now reimburses the costs of homeopathic remedies

05/31/2012

Often calls for help from patients and doctors reach the German Central Association of Homeopathic Physicians (DZVhÄ): Individual private health insurance companies (PKV) repeatedly refuse to reimburse homeopathic medicines. This is justified by insurers in different ways: "These are nutritional supplements that are not reimbursable", or "These are unauthorized medicines" or else
"These are ineffective drugs."

A broad-based intervention of the DZVhÄ by circular to all PKVs on the basis of a scientific opinion prepared by the Scientific Society for Homeopathy (WissHom) on the reimbursement of homeopathic medicines within the framework of the private health insurance could provide significant impulses: various PKVs expressly thanked for the substantiated clarification, adapted the insurance instructions and trained their personnel in the service department accordingly.

Curt Kösters, spokesman for the quality promotion section of "WissHom", makes it clear: „Homeopathic medicines are clearly defined as medicines in the German Medicines Act (AMG). As such, they are subject to the law, regardless of whether they are approved with indication or registered, as usual with individual agents, without indication of indication.“ Regardless of whether they are approved conventional medicines or registered homeopathic or traditional herbal medicines, they are registrable.

In the usual contracts of private insurers, the costs of prescribed medicines are reimbursed, as part of the outpatient medical treatment, as far as the treatment is medically reasonable and necessary. This is expressly not limited to conventional treatments. „It is not the insurance company who decides on the indication of the medical treatment and the evaluation of its effectiveness, but the attending physician“, so the conclusion of the Hamburg doctor Kösters. If a health insurance company refuses to pay the costs, those affected can contact the German Central Association of Homeopathic Physicians: "[email protected]" (pm)