Judgment judged: health insurance must pay for laser treatment!

Judgment judged: health insurance must pay for laser treatment!

Wien, Österreich - The debate about the assumption of costs for hair removal in women with strong facial hair takes on dramatic features. A Viennese court recently decided that statutory health insurance must bear the costs of laser pilation. The case concerns a person born as a man who was diagnosed with a gender dysphoria. This successfully complained that the daily rasmber compulsion has a considerable psychological pressure, since it is constantly confronted with the discrepancy between her gender and its appearance. According to the verdict, a daily shave would be a constant memory of its problem of identity and would heavily burden it in everyday life, as the daily newspaper "press" reported.

In a parallel case from Rhineland-Palatinate, a woman was denied the assumption of costs for a similar treatment. Despite medical confirmation of a strong suffering, the health insurance company rejected the application for laser treatment and referred to alternative treatment methods such as electrocoagulation. The reason was that the laser treatment was not recognized as recognized, which is why the health insurance company referred to the legal requirements. The Rhineland-Palatinate State Social Court decided that the statutory health insurance does not have to pay for the costs in this case, since there is no life-threatening condition and there is an proven, alternative method.

important case law and psychological stress

These two cases illustrate the different views on the reimbursement of treatments that are requested for psychological reasons. While the Vienna Court recognizes the psychological consequences of the gender dysphoria and wanted to help the plaintiff to assume costs, the Rhineland-Palatinate decision showed that there are still many hurdles. The lawsuit in Vienna could now be groundbreaking for similar cases as the lawyers found. It remains to be seen whether further courts will follow this example or whether the health insurance companies will continue to refer to the existing medical framework. The legal disputes are far from being completed.