Healthcare in Munich

Munich not only offers the best of Germany’s sights and sounds, it also gives you the best of Europe’s health services.

Public Healthcare 

Germany's public healthcare system is said to be the best in Europe. Waiting lists are rare, and the quality of service, more often than not, is top-notch.  

The country is said to have been one of the pioneers in employing the universal healthcare system in Europe, dating back to the 1880's. The system was originally intended for employees with a lower income but had since included the entire German populace.  

At this time, about 85% of the country's inhabitants are covered through this efficient healthcare system, with 77% of funds coming from the government, and 23% privately funded.  

As a rule, all salaried employees are required to sign up for public health insurance. Payments are shared by the employer and the employee. If an employee's salary is above 50,000 Euro then he qualifies to also sign up for private health coverage.   

Through the public system, health insurance premiums are actually regulated by the Federal Ministry of Health.

The amount of premiums to be paid is based on the employee's salary (generally 10-15% of the individual's salary) and not on his age or health condition. Family members or dependents are also covered through the public health care system.   

The great thing with the German public healthcare insurance is that the individual is not limited to getting services only from a certain number of affiliated doctors. They are free to visit any general practitioner or specialist if they so wish and healthcare coverage continues.  

Even though queues are almost non-existent in Munich clinics or hospitals, it is always best to set-up an appointment at the least a few days before your intended visit.   

If you wish to the find the nearest medical practitioner to you, your easiest go-to would have to be the Yellow Pages (Gelbe Seiten) which contains a comprehensive listing. However, this does not guarantee that you would be able to get an English-speaking doctor. In this case, you may check with the nearest embassy as they would also have listings of medical practitioners that speak your language.   

Note that most expatriates have international health insurance as a supplementary coverage. If you do get coverage, make sure that you would keep in handy the little plastic card that the insurance companies issue. You may need this when availing medical services in clinics or hospitals.   

Another fact to remember is that, as with most public health insurance schemes, dental services are rarely if not at all part of the coverage. The costs of dental services in Germany can be quite expensive. It is best to either secure good coverage through a private health insurance scheme for this or have a general dental check-up before you leave your home country.  

Bear in mind as well that the country has strict rules when it comes to medicines. If you have any that you take regularly get a prescription from your doctor and make sure to have it with you when you move to Munich. Pharmacies are open on weekdays from 9 in the morning until 6:30 in the evening, and on Saturdays from 9 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. 

The city happens to have two world-class university hospitals, one of which is the Munich General Hospital which represents the largest healthcare provider in the south of Germany.  

You would also have the comfort of knowing that the city has 13,000 hospital beds and some 5,000 physicians to take care of you when the need calls for it. And most importantly, with Munich's scientific-technological environment, the quality and advancement of healthcare is one thing that the city can be most proud of.  

Munich surely is a testament to Germany's legendary presence in the world of the arts and culture. However, Munich of modern times has surpassed the world of paint and canvas or Baroque and Rococo columns; it is now a center of quality German healthcare.