Doctors must not ask for a surcharge for appointments!
Doctors must not ask for a surcharge for appointments!
Düsseldorf (dpa/tmn) - The Düsseldorf Regional Court has made it clear that it is not allowed that doctors offered an earlier appointment against payment. This decision results from a case that concerns the practice of an ophthalmologist who has offered self-paying dates for legally insured persons at a price of 150 euros via an online booking portal.
The problem came to light when a wife wanted to book an earlier appointment with this ophthalmologist for her husband. It was informed by an employee of the practice that such an appointment would be available at an additional charge, or she would have to wait several months for a regular date. The person concerned then turned to the consumer advice center, who then warned the doctor. Since the doctor did not want to sign an injunction, the conflict led to a procedure before the district court.
The legal background
The court decided that the ophthalmologist should no longer offer such paid appointments in the future. The essential point in the reasoning was that this date was legally insured within the office hours. Contract doctors are legally obliged to be available for health insurance patients at least 25 hours a week. This ensures that all insured persons have access to medical care without giving financial benefits or gifts the impression that medical independence could be influenced.
In addition, the court referred to the applicable professional regulations for doctors. This prohibits doctors from their patients give gifts or advantages that could influence the independence of the medical decision. Here the ophthalmologist clearly violated the regulation.
alternatives to faster appointments
In view of the long waiting times for specialists, the temptation is great to "buy" a timely date. However, consumer advocates advise against such practices and recommend various alternatives. One possibility is the transfer by the family doctor who can use a so -called urgency code to mark the urgency of the treatment.In addition, there are the appointment service points of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians who can support patients in the search for a specialist appointment. These can be reached on the phone number 116117 or via the associated app.
In emergencies, the option is also open to visit open consultation hours where no appointment is required. Contract doctors are obliged to be available for such consultation hours at least five hours a week and thus ensure faster medical care.
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