What should I do when I am ill?
You can go to a dentist, optometrist or gynaecologist directly, without first seeing a family doctor.
How do I find an appropriate doctor?
Always take your health insurance documents along when seeing a doctor and ensure that you indicate that you have foreign health insurance when making an appointment: unfortunately, not all medical services will be covered through the health insurance. Enquire whether your health insurance will pay for your examination and treatment. You can also check which services are taken on by your health insurance on your health insurance provider’s website. Naturally, you can also call the health insurance’s hotline to ask about individual cases.
What do I do in an emergency?
- Call an emergency doctor
- Go to the emergency room at a hospital
You will find information and phone numbers here.
When should I go to a hospital?
In emergencies, you can also go directly to a hospital – e.g. if you have been in an accident and need immediate treatment, or if you are experiencing such severe pains at night that you need help immediately. In these cases, you need to go to the hospital’s “emergency room”. You will find a list of Aachen hospitals here.
What kind of health insurance do I need?
In Germany, one differentiates between statutory and private health insurance. While you are attending a German course or a preparatory college, you must have private health insurance. As soon as you begin university studies in Germany, you are required to have the statutory students’ health insurance.
There are some countries (e.g. EU countries and countries that belong to the European Economic Region) that have concluded a social security agreement: if you come from one of these countries and are legally medically insured there, you can have this status acknowledged by the German statutory health insurance. In this case, one does not need to obtain additional health insurance in Germany. In order to be freed from the need to have health insurance in Germany, in most cases you will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Please confirm with the health insurance provider in your home country whether this option exists for you. Please do so well in advance, before your arrival.
Which costs does a private health insurance cover for language course participants?
How does the health insurance refund the doctor's bills?
If the doctor cannot issue the invoice directly to your health insurance, you will need to do this yourself: in this case, send the invoice, together with the necessary form, which will be provided by the health insurance, to the insurance provider. The insurance provider will then transfer its contribution into your account.
Accident insurance and liability insurance
The accident insurance comes into effect when, as a result of an accident, you can, for example, no longer work to your full capacity and will therefore suffer financial disadvantages.
The liability insurance is important if you cause damage that results in expenses for another person: these costs are then covered by the insurance, provided that all requirements are fulfilled.
You can obtain more information from your insurance provider.
Medicine from the pharmacy
Pharmacies are generally only open during normal shop opening times: however, there is always an emergency pharmacy, which is open longer, and even at night. So, if you need medicine urgently, you can check which pharmacy currently offers the emergency service and go there. You will find a list of the pharmacy emergency services here.
The costs for prescription medicines are partially or sometimes fully covered by the health insurance: at the pharmacy, you will often not need to pay the full price for medicines for which you have presented a prescription.
Important phone numbers
- Emergency: 112 (without area code)
- Fire department: 112 (without area code)
- Police: 110 (without area code)
- Doctor’s centre: 0180 / 5044100