Terms, briefly explained.
Seventeen terms that come up around the German private medical landscape — from GOÄ to travel surcharge. One definition, one paragraph. Factual, no marketing.
- GOÄ German Medical Fee Schedule
- Legally binding basis for billing private medical services in Germany. In its current version nationally valid since 1982. Each item has a fixed fee that is multiplied by a factor (typically 1.0 to 3.5×). Key items for house calls: 50 (visit), 51 (additional patient at same address), 1 (consultation), 5 (symptom-related examination), 75 (extended report). Details in the GOÄ pricing guide.
- PKV Private health insurance
- Privately insured patients have the right to free physician choice and private care. PKV insurers commonly reimburse house calls — the exact amount depends on the policy. Patients pay the invoice first and submit it for reimbursement (reimbursement principle). Step-by-step process in the pricing guide.
- GKV Statutory health insurance
- Direct cost coverage without an invoice for the patient (benefits-in-kind principle). Reimbursement for private services is typically not covered. Statutory-insured patients can use RAB Berlin as self-payers — the invoice may be deductible as an extraordinary burden under § 33 German Income Tax Act (case-by-case). Outside office hours, the statutory on-call service 116117 is available free of charge.
- Beihilfe German civil-servant aid
- German public healthcare support for civil servants, judges, soldiers and their families. The aid office typically covers 50–80% of costs, depending on employer and life stage. Supplementary private insurance covers the remainder. Runs parallel to the PKV/GKV system. GOÄ invoices from RAB Berlin qualify for reimbursement.
- House call Medical consultation at the patient
- Medical consultation at the patient’s home, hotel or workplace. Scope: history, physical examination, therapy; with on-site diagnostics like blood draw, ECG, rapid tests or ultrasound as needed. Unlike telemedicine, the physician is physically present. Audience pages: Hotel doctor, Senior house call, Paediatrician.
- Approbation German medical licence
- State authorisation to practise medicine in Germany after medical studies (at least six years) and the state exam. State licensure and active membership in the Berlin Medical Chamber are mandatory requirements for every specialist on the RAB team.
- Professional liability Mandatory insurance for physicians
- Mandatory insurance for physicians, covering damages arising from professional activity. Every RAB Berlin house call is covered by professional liability through Deutsche Ärzteversicherung. Patients and physicians are protected alike.
- GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
- European regulation for personal data protection. RAB Berlin processes patient data as a special category under Article 9 GDPR and additionally per § 9 of the German Model Professional Code for Physicians — encrypted storage (AES-256-GCM), servers in Germany, no third-party sharing. See privacy policy.
- 116117 Statutory on-call service
- Nationwide German number for the statutory on-call service. In Berlin organised by KV Berlin. Free for statutory-insured patients. Arranges care outside practice hours for acute, non-life-threatening conditions. Not a substitute for emergency services.
- 112 European emergency number
- European emergency number for life-threatening emergencies — ambulance and emergency physician. Not replaced by private services. Examples: severe shortness of breath, chest pain radiating, unconsciousness, heavy bleeding, suspected stroke or heart attack. Always dial 112 first.
- Sick certificate (AU) Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung
- Medical certificate for employer and insurer. Documents incapacity for work with start and expected end. Where medically indicated, also issuable retroactively (typically up to three days) within legal limits — requires a personal physical examination.
- Private prescription Prescription by a private physician
- Prescription by a private physician (blue form). The patient pays at the pharmacy and submits the receipt to their insurer for reimbursement. For ongoing medication, repeat prescriptions follow by post or digitally. Not to be confused with the green recommendation slip (mostly OTC).
- PVS Private medical clearing house
- Specialist billing service that prepares, dispatches and chases private medical invoices on behalf of physicians — bound by medical confidentiality (data processor under Article 28 GDPR). On request, RAB Berlin can bill through a PVS.
- Specialist (Facharzt) Physician with completed specialist training
- Physician who has completed specialist training in a medical field — general practice, internal medicine, paediatrics and others. RAB Berlin guarantees specialist house calls; the team comprises specialists in general practice, internal medicine and related disciplines.
- Multiplier (Steigerungsfaktor) Multiplier within the GOÄ
- Factor by which the GOÄ base fee is multiplied. Range 1.0× to 3.5×. The typical threshold is 2.3×; a higher factor up to 3.5× is permitted for particularly demanding or time-intensive services and must be justified in writing. The statutory supplements (E/D/H/F/C/G/K) are not multipliable.
- Wegegeld (travel surcharge) Distance allowance under § 8 GOÄ
- Distance allowance per § 8 GOÄ for the physician’s travel. The band: up to 2 km (€3.58 day / €7.16 night), up to 5 km (€6.95 / €10.23), up to 10 km (€10.23 / €15.34), up to 25 km (€15.34 / €25.56). The night rate applies between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- MBO-Ä German Model Professional Code
- German Model Professional Code for physicians, implemented by the state medical chambers — in Berlin by the professional code of the Berlin Medical Chamber. Governs medical duties, confidentiality (§ 9), documentation (§ 10) and the limits of remote care. Blanket sick notes without examination are not permitted under this code.
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