Costs & billing

A private medical home visit from RAB Arztbesuche costs statutory-insured self-payers typically €150–300; privately and travel-insured patients pay €0 out-of-pocket, as their insurer reimburses the GOÄ amount in full (with a fully reimbursable tariff). There is no flat rate because the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ) bills each individual service separately. The final amount depends on three factors: the scope of care (e.g. additional examinations, ECG, blood draw), the time of day, and the travel allowance. During weekday daytime hours the standard 2.3× multiplier applies; in the evening, at night, on weekends and public holidays, fixed GOÄ surcharges apply, making those visits higher. For particularly complex examinations, the 3.5× rate is possible with written justification. Civil servants too are fully covered via Beihilfe and top-up private health insurance with a fully reimbursable tariff. We give you the expected price range by phone in advance, before a physician sets off, transparent and with no hidden charges.

Yes, privately insured patients are usually reimbursed in full for a medical home visit. We bill exclusively under the GOÄ, so your private health insurer recognises the invoice: normally at the 2.3× rate, and up to 3.5× with written justification for exceptional effort. With a fully reimbursable tariff you typically have no out-of-pocket share. If you have agreed a deductible (Selbstbehalt) in your tariff, a portion may remain with you, depending solely on your policy. Civil servants (Beihilfeberechtigte) combine Beihilfe (typically 50–80 % depending on federal state and pay grade) with their top-up private health insurance and are likewise fully covered. You pay the invoice on site first, then submit it to your insurer; reimbursement usually arrives within 1–3 weeks. If in doubt, a quick check of your policy wording or a call to your insurer is worthwhile before the visit.

The GOÄ (Gebührenordnung für Ärzte) is Germany's official, nationally binding billing basis for private medical services. It assigns every medical service its own item number with a fixed point value; one point currently equals €0.0582873. This is why there is no flat rate: the amount results from the sum of all individual services actually rendered, for example, the home visit (item 50), consultation (item 1), examination (items 5–8), or ECG (item 651). A fee multiplier is applied to the base amount to reflect complexity and time required: the 2.3× rate is the standard statutory threshold (§ 5(2) GOÄ); above it (up to 3.5×) only with written justification. For technical services such as laboratory work, lower maximum multipliers apply. This system makes every invoice fully traceable and reimbursable. You can see exactly which service was billed and at what rate.

You pay the GOÄ invoice on site (cash or card) and then submit it to your payer. Privately insured patients send the original invoice to their private health insurer, today conveniently via app or customer portal, or alternatively by post; reimbursement usually takes 1–3 weeks. Civil servants (Beihilfe recipients) submit the invoice separately to their Beihilfe office and their top-up private health insurance, keeping the respective submission deadlines in mind. Tourists and international guests present the invoice to their travel or international health insurer; we provide an English receipt on request. In all cases keep a copy for your own records. Patients with statutory insurance (GKV) cannot submit the invoice to their health fund, but can claim the cost as an extraordinary expense under § 33 EStG (German income tax law). Feel free to contact us with any questions about the invoice.

No, statutory health insurance does not reimburse private medical home visits. GKV-insured patients use our service as self-payers; this follows from the GKV's benefits-in-kind principle, which does not cover private elective services outside the public system. You receive a transparent GOÄ invoice from us, and we give you the expected price range (typically €150–300) by phone before the visit. The cost can be claimed as an extraordinary expense under § 33 EStG (German income tax law), keep the invoice for that purpose. Those seeking a publicly funded out-of-hours service can reach the KV on-call service at the nationwide number 116117. In life-threatening emergencies always call 112. We are not an emergency ambulance service, but we fill the gap between a GP practice and paramedics.

Yes, most travel and international health insurers cover a medical home visit in Berlin, as it constitutes outpatient emergency or acute care. Tourists, business travellers and expatriates are explicitly welcome. You receive a GOÄ invoice that international insurers recognise; we provide an English receipt on request for submission. You pay on site by card or cash and then submit the invoice to your insurer. We recommend checking in advance whether your policy covers outpatient treatment abroad and whether prior authorisation is required, conditions vary by provider and country of travel. Our physicians speak English (and, depending on the assignment, other languages), so communication is smooth for international guests.

A home visit in the evening, at night, on weekends or on public holidays costs more than a weekday daytime visit, because the GOÄ prescribes fixed surcharges for those times. They are governed by letter surcharges: B for 8–10 pm and 6–8 am, C for the night from 10 pm to 6 am, and D for Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. These amounts are set by statute and are not multiplied by the fee factor. They are added as a flat charge on top of the GOÄ fee. In practice a home visit at those times therefore typically costs €150–300. We are available daily from 6 am to midnight, 365 days a year, the premium over a weekday daytime visit is moderate, and for privately insured patients it is usually fully reimbursable anyway. We give you the expected price range for your specific appointment by phone, before a physician sets off.

Beihilfe beneficiaries are usually fully covered for a private home visit because they combine Beihilfe (50–80 % depending on the federal state) with their private supplementary insurance. Beihilfe is the German employer-care benefit for civil servants, judges and pensioners; it reimburses a fixed percentage of the eligible GOÄ costs, and the remaining share is covered by the supplementary private insurer. You pay the GOÄ invoice on site first and then submit it separately: one copy to your Beihilfe office, one to your private supplementary insurer. Both reimburse their respective share, so you are typically left with no out-of-pocket cost. Mind the submission deadlines, Beihilfe offices often allow up to one year from the invoice date, depending on the state. We bill strictly in line with the GOÄ (standard 2.3× factor, up to 3.5× with justification), so that both the Beihilfe office and your insurer recognise the invoice.

A private medical billing service (Privatärztliche Verrechnungsstelle, PVS) is a specialised provider that prepares, issues and collects the GOÄ invoice on behalf of the physician. For you as a patient this changes nothing about the amount or the legal basis of your invoice: it remains fully GOÄ-compliant and therefore reimbursable by your private health insurer, Beihilfe office or travel insurance. The only visible difference is the sender, the letterhead or payee may show the name of the billing service instead of the practice. Many practices and home-visit services use a PVS to outsource administration and receivables management; the medical service and the GOÄ items charged (e.g. the visit under item 50 or the consultation under item 1) stay identical. If you receive an invoice from a billing service, simply submit it unchanged to your insurer. If you have any questions about the invoice or the sender, we are happy to help.

Yes, anyone in Germany may use a private doctor as a self-payer, regardless of whether they are statutorily or privately insured. Your insurance status only limits reimbursement, not access: statutorily insured patients can book a private home visit from RAB Arztbesuche at any time, but pay the GOÄ-based cost (typically from €150) themselves, because statutory health insurance does not reimburse private elective services. We give you the expected price range by phone, before a physician sets off. The cost can be claimed for tax as an extraordinary burden under § 33 EStG, keep the invoice for that. If you need statutory out-of-hours care, the panel-doctor on-call service of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung is reachable on 116117; for life-threatening emergencies always call 112. We bridge the gap between the family practice and the emergency service, with a licensed physician at your home, daily from 6 am to midnight.