If you have to visit a hospital in Germany, it’s best to know what to expect. You’ll want to be prepared for long waits and high costs. But on the other hand, if you’re sick or injured and need care quickly, German hospitals are some of the best in the world. check at https://bookinghealth.com
The healthcare system is ranked among the world’s best.
Germany has a universal health insurance system. The country ranks among the top countries in the world for healthcare quality and efficiency, with one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. Germany also has a low prevalence of obesity and life expectancy is among the highest in Europe.
Many doctors working in German hospitals are foreigners.
You may be surprised to learn that not all doctors in German hospitals are German. Many of them come from other countries. Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia are all represented among the medical workforce in Germany. Some doctors are even South American!
The reason there is such a diverse mix of nationalities working in hospitals is because it’s incredibly difficult to become a doctor in many European countries—including Germany. Due to this reality, many young people who wish to become physicians choose instead to study medicine elsewhere and then come back home as fully fledged doctors once they’ve completed their studies abroad (this applies especially for those who attended medical school in Germany).
You better speak German or be prepared to pay heaps of money!
If you don’t speak German, and aren’t prepared to pay heaps of money for translation services, then you’ll have to learn a bit of the language before heading off on your next German adventure. The hospital staff will not be able to translate for you—but if you’re lucky, they may offer a translator from the hospital’s translation service. However, this is completely up to them—so make sure that they don’t charge an arm and leg!
Alternatively, if that doesn’t work out too well (or simply isn’t an option), then another option is getting an interpreter who speaks both languages fluently and can act as an intermediary between yourself and medical practitioners at the hospital. It’ll cost more than just having someone translate what they say into English though—and might end up costing more than going through all these different steps separately anyways!
You will have to pay an excess in case of hospitalization.
As with most insurance policies, you will have to pay an excess in case of hospitalization. This means that you will have to pay the first part of any medical treatment that is covered by your health insurance policy (e.g., 80% of the bill).
Depending on your age and the type of insurance policy you have, this amount can vary between 10€ and 500€ per day. If you are not covered by a German health insurance policy, then all medical services (including hospitalization) will be fully paid by yourself.
You never know how good or bad your doctor or nurse will be.
In the US, if you get a doctor or nurse that speaks English, they’re probably going to be good. In Germany, it’s not so simple. Sometimes you’ll get a great doctor who doesn’t speak any English at all (and vice versa). Sometimes you’ll get a nurse who is fluent in both languages but who still has no idea what she’s doing (and vice versa).
So how can you tell if your doctors are actually any good? You can’t! I mean, sometimes I’ve heard from other patients that one doctor is really helpful and nice—but then later on he turned out to be kind of an asshole. And vice versa: I remember once meeting another patient whose wife was being treated by this great-looking young dude; he was patient and nice with everyone there and seemed like he knew his stuff…until I found out later that he’d been responsible for killing several elderly patients with malpractice over the course of his career! So now every time I see him at work on my floor, my blood runs cold.
If you need surgery, you may have to wait a while
If you need surgery, you may have to wait a while.
Waiting times for surgery in Germany are longer than in other countries. The average waiting time is three months and there are exceptions (you could get a consultation within a week), but if your operation isn’t urgent, it’ll take at least three months before it’s scheduled.
If you have an illness that requires regular treatment or monitoring by specialists, like diabetes or heart disease, prepare yourself for some delays as well: These appointments can take up to two weeks to book in advance.
Though the healthcare system is excellent and the doctors are well-trained and highly qualified, you may have to wait for any treatment if you are not suffering from an acute illness.
Though the healthcare system is excellent and the doctors are well-trained and highly qualified, you may have to wait for any treatment if you are not suffering from an acute illness. This is because more than 50% of Germany’s population has a health insurance like we have in America. But unlike America, Germany doesn’t offer emergency services at all hospitals or clinics.
Therefore, Germans typically book appointments with their doctor two weeks in advance and they wait patiently until their appointment time arrives. Though most people don’t mind waiting as long as they know that they are going to get good quality care once they see their physician, some people find this practice frustrating because it often takes several weeks before receiving medical treatment simply because there aren’t enough doctors available at any given moment who can provide instant care (or even within 2 hours).
Conclusion
In this article, we have tried to give you an overview of what to expect when you visit a hospital in Germany. The healthcare system is ranked among the best in the world and has excellent doctors who are well trained and highly qualified. You may have to wait for any treatment if you are not suffering from an acute illness or emergency, but then again it is not like all hospitals everywhere in the world are open 24/7 365 days a year either!
