Doctors, insurance and emergencies in Munich

Statutory and private cover

Everyone resident in Germany must hold health insurance. Employees below the income threshold are in the gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, contributing a percentage of gross salary matched by the employer, with spouses and children covered at no extra cost. Above that threshold, and for the self-employed, private cover becomes available and is priced on age and health rather than income. Private patients get faster appointments; statutory patients get the same hospitals.

• Statutory funds issue an elektronische Gesundheitskarte — carry it to every appointment.
• Statutory cover includes dependants without additional premium; private cover charges per person.
• Zusatzversicherung top-ups for dental, glasses and private hospital rooms are common and cheap.

Finding a doctor

You choose a Hausarzt freely, and in Munich the practical constraint is capacity: many practices near the centre are not accepting new patients, especially private-only or full ones. Specialists can usually be seen without a referral, though a Hausarzt referral shortens the wait. Waiting times for Facharzt appointments are the main complaint, and private patients are visibly seen faster.

• The KVB service and 116117 can help find a practice with capacity and book urgent appointments.
• English-speaking practices exist across Schwabing, Bogenhausen and the centre, and are in demand.
• Ask at registration whether the practice takes gesetzlich insured patients.

Pharmacies, prescriptions and costs

Apotheken are marked with a red A, medicines are dispensed only there rather than in supermarkets, and prescriptions are increasingly electronic through the insurance card. Statutory patients pay a small per-item co-payment. Each district operates a Notdienst rota so a pharmacy is open overnight, posted in the windows of the closed ones.

Emergencies and out-of-hours

112 reaches the ambulance and fire service. For anything urgent but not life-threatening outside surgery hours, 116117 is the national medical on-call number and will direct you to a Bereitschaftsdienst practice. Hospital Notaufnahme triage means a minor complaint waits a long time, so the on-call service is usually the faster route.