Bone density measurement as a health insurance benefit?
The bone density measurement is only reimbursed as a health insurance benefit in exceptional cases. For preventive reasons or as a preventive examination it is currently (as of 2012) not reimbursable.
One fall, one awkward movement - and your thigh neck or arm is broken. Bones can become more prone to breakage with age as bone density can decrease. A measurement of the bone density is only reimbursed by the statutory health insurances as a health insurance benefit in very specific cases.
Requirements for a bone density measurement as a health insurance benefit
- Which medical treatments and examinations by the statutory health insurances as Fund benefits are to be provided, is in a corresponding guideline of the Federal Joint Committee regulated. Bone density measurement is also included in the guideline for the "Methods of statutory health care"listed.
- According to Annex I No. 7 of the guideline, osteodensitometry is one of the recognized examination methods - but not for every patient.
- The prerequisite is that the patient has previously had a fracture without "adequate trauma", i. H. without violence, and that other findings suggest that osteoporosis is suspected.
- A bone density measurement cannot (yet) be reimbursed as a health insurance benefit purely for prevention and early detection (as of 2012).
- A Working Committee of the Federal Joint Committee has dealt extensively with the benefits of osteodensitometry, came however, to the conclusion that there is sufficient scientific basis for preventive use respectively. clear benefit assessment is missing.
The statutory health insurances are in the presence of a compulsory insurance ...
Osteodensitometry as an IGeL service
- A practice can offer its patients with statutory health insurance a bone density measurement as a so-called IGeL service (individual health service).
- As a patient, you then have to pay for this yourself. the costs are around 30 euros.
The measurement is only paid for by the health insurances in certain cases. Anyone who nevertheless values such an examination must therefore dig into their pockets themselves.
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