“You can trust me to

stand by you and give you

personal support.”
Tanja Viechter, personal SBK consultant

Health care made personal.

Starting over in a new country is an exciting stage in one’s life and, at the same time, sometimes a real challenge due
to the unfamiliar language and cultural differences. Therefore it is important to have a reliable partner at your side. We
are happy to support you in all questions with regard to health as well as health and social insurance issues. You’ll have
people here you can turn to in confidence – your personal consultants. Opt for support in English, or confer with local
staff, who however will likely speak German. They make time for you, and are committed to ensuring that you get the
very best for your health. They search through our extensive portfolio to find the services which suit you best. That’s
what makes us an outstanding health insurance provider and gives you the reassurance of being in good hands.

You can request all our SBK services with your personal electronic health care card.
How and where
You’ll receive your health care card automatically at the beginning of your member-
can I get ship. Once signed, it is valid from the start of your insurance period. Whenever you
health services need it, you will be treated at the doctor’s or hospital upon presentation of this card.
in Germany? The contract partner will usually use your card to bill us directly.

The most important service providers are doctors, psychotherapists, dentists,

hospitals, pharmacies and physiotherapists.

The special aspect about German health insurance is that you have free choice as to
Which doctors
where you go. The only important requirement is that the doctors must be authorized
can I go to? for statutory health insurance to be entitled to officially claim payment for any
treatments provided from a statutory health insurance provider. Most doctors and
clinics in Germany are authorized for statutory health insurance.

If you alternatively choose practitioners who are not authorized for statutory health
insurance, the costs cannot be charged to your electronic health care card and must
be paid privately. To make sure your doctor is authorized for statutory health insurance,
ask him before your visit.

How do I proceed
if I need to see a
doctor?
Usually you will have to make an appointment in advance by phone, e.g. to see a
doctor or a physiotherapist. In urgent cases, you can often get an appointment the
same day. Or you can drop by without an appointment, but you may then have to wait
some time until you can be examined and treated.
Our recommendation: Save yourself some waiting time and call the doctor in
advance to ask what time is best to drop by.

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 Just give your personal electronic health care card to the doctor and he will bill us
Who pays for
for the costs directly. There’s no need for you to pay in advance and then request
the medical reimbursement. Basically all necessary medical treatments and check-ups are
treatment and covered.
how? Please note: In some cases, doctors may recommend additional preventive medical
examinations. These are not covered and the costs incurred cannot be reimbursed.
You are under no obligation to consent to such additional exams.

For some treatments you will have to make a statutory co-payment which is
required by law.
This is due, for example, when you get medicine from the pharmacy or treatment
from your physiotherapist. In such cases, the co-payment amounts to 10 % of
the treatment/medicine costs, and is at least € 5 and no more than € 10 for each
treatment/prescription. You’ll also have to make a co-payment of € 10 for each day of a
hospital stay. The co-payment is always payable directly at the service provider’s – for
example at the pharmacy, the physiotherapist’s or the hospital.

In case of an emergency, e.g. an accident, you can go to hospital or call an

What to do
ambulance by dialling 112. If you feel ill at night or at the weekend, you can ring
in case of an 116 117. They will tell you which doctor is on duty even at night or at the weekend.
emergency?

If you need any medicine, you will have to go to your doctor first. He will give you a
How do I get the
prescription for any necessary medicine. There are two types of prescriptions:
medicine I need?
Red prescription: In this case, the medicine will be paid for through statutory health
insurance coverage. When you give the prescription to the pharmacy, they will settle
the costs directly with us. You will only have to pay a statutory co-payment to the
pharmacy as required by law. It amounts to 10 % of the costs of the medicine, and is
at least € 5 and no more than € 10 for every prescription.

Green prescription: In this case, you have to pay for the medicine yourself.
The doctor will choose the green prescription, e.g. for “low-impact” medicinal
products such as nasal spray, cough syrup, etc.

If you need to see a specialist, you don’t necessarily have to visit your general
What if I have to
practitioner first. You can simply make an appointment with the specialist of your
see a specialist? choice.

Our recommendation: Use our SBK Appointment Service to avoid having to wait
a long time to get an appointment to see an expert who is suitable for you. This will
save you valuable time and helps ensure that you will be treated by doctors who can
also speak foreign languages.
The phone number for this service is 0800 0 725 725 700 0 (free of charge*).

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 Exclusive benefits for you as an SBK member

SBK Personal Specialist and Hospital Search: When
you need to choose a suitable specialist, your personal
consultant will provide orientation and help you feel
secure in your decision. A database used exclusively by
us will reveal which specialized and qualified physicians
and hospitals suit your needs. Your information edge:
Specialist physician recommendations.
Your personal consultant will be happy to offer you advice
and practical assistance.
SBK Health Account: Gather new strength with our
exclusive Balance Days, a high-quality short trip combined
with a select health programme, or take part in health-
related courses offered in your area – credits for this can
be granted up to two times per year. If you do something
for your health, the Bonus Scheme rewards you with an
attractive annual bonus.
Alternative medicine: Alternative medicine is your
choice? In this case, your personal consultant will provide
you with all the options as well as help you find qualified
doctors and therapists. In the case, of homoeopathic
medicine, we bear the entire costs from anamnesis
to treatment for all cooperating contract partners. And
you can count on us to assist in offsetting the costs for
treatment provided by qualified osteopaths.
SBK-RückenWind (back training programme):
Our holistic programme in combination with a select
coach will help you keep your back strong in the long
term.
SBK Overseas Consulting: Whether holidays, business
travel or a visit to your home country – whatever your
goals are, our consulting service keeps you well informed.
Even before the trip you will receive comprehensive
advice and you will be reimbursed for the amount of
our share of the costs of travel vaccinations. In the
destination country, we will inform you about local
German- and English-speaking doctors – to get quick help
when it really matters.
You can obtain further information online at sbk.org/
ausland (German only). Your personal consultant will also
be happy to offer you advice and practical assistance.
Pregnancy extras: Expectant mothers receive
allowances for a toxoplasmosis test and nuchal
translucency screening as well as for midwife on-call
services with contract midwives.
In addition, you will be able to make use of the 24/7
SBK Health Telephone for Expectant Mothers & Children
available on 0800 0 725 725 700 1 (free of charge*)
whenever you have health-related questions so that you
always have peace of mind.
Additional check-ups for children: In order to
complement the statutorily provided services, we will
also pay for three additional important check-ups with
contract doctors – these check-ups are called U10 (at age
7-8), U11 (at age 9-10), and J2 (at age 16-17). This gives
you the assurance that your child is developing well and
lets you take advantage of all the preventative measures.

Online services: Use your smartphone to conveniently

send us doctor’s notes and confirmations of student
status. This service is free of charge and exclusively for
our customers.

Your personal consultant will always be happy to offer you advice and practical
Any further
assistance. You will find their contact details at sbk.org/consultant or at your online
questions? self-service branch Meine SBK at sbk.org/meine-sbk (German only). Or call our SBK
customer hotline 0800 0 725 725 725 0 (free of charge*).
* Within Germany; from abroad you can call us on +49 89 444 570 90 and the call will be charged for at the rates
which apply in the foreign country.

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