Medical care

Heilfürsorge (also free welfare care ) in Germany refers to the assumption of health services by the employer for persons in a public-law official or service relationship who are subject to a particular health risk. Medical care is an expression of the general duty of care ( § 31 SG , § 78 BBG ) as a traditional principle of the professional civil service ( Article 33, Paragraph 5 of the Basic Law ). The following groups of people receive medical care, although there may be differences between the countries :

• Soldiers in the form of free medical care (see also section below),
• Police officers of the Federal Police ( § 70 Abs. 2 BBesG ), unless they have irrevocably decided in favor of aiding and abetting,
• Police officers of the federal states ( riot police officers are sometimes obliged to visit the police medical service ),
• Officials in some federal states (not e.g. in North Rhine-Westphalia ) in the field service of the professional fire brigades and at state fire brigade schools,
• Correctional officers

Even community service , that do their job within the Federal Republic obtained (medical care to § 35 ZDG m i. V. § 69a BBesG). As a rule, they are not exposed to any particular health risks, but their legal status is based on that of those doing military service.

Prisoners are entitled to health care ( § 55 StVollZG ), which is not formally medical care.

If a civil servant receives welfare benefits, these will be offset against the salary as so-called benefits in kind , taking into account their economic value, unless otherwise stipulated ( § 10 BBesG).

In the context of medical care, the employer fully covers the costs of illness, especially for police officers , since it is assumed that they can only take out private insurance at high costs given their increased professional risk. Other civil servants can make private provision for part of the medical expenses or take out voluntary statutory insurance . Free medical care does not extend to family members. If these are not subject to social security contributions , they can be privately or legally insured on a pro-rata basis, the majority being paid by the allowance .

If the salaried person is entitled to free medical care, then, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity , this has priority over the right to the granting of subsidies. Lately, medical care for police officers has been abolished in favor of aid in many federal states.

soldiers

Soldiers in the German Armed Forces are granted “medical care in the form of free medical care ” ( Section 69a BBesG , Section 6 WSG , Section 1 BwHFV ). It serves to maintain, restore and improve the health of the soldiers. As a matter of principle, the costs of health treatment are only covered if the soldier visits a medical facility of the Bundeswehr. If the entitlement to free medical care cannot be met by medical facilities of the Bundeswehr (e.g. troop doctor ), medical services outside the Bundeswehr can be provided at the request of doctors or dentists of the Bundeswehr (referral) or in an emergency ( Section 30 BwHFV ) ( e.g. resident doctor ) can be used and billed. If a soldier falls ill during a private stay abroad, the necessary costs of his treatment will be reimbursed up to the amount that would have been incurred if he were sick in Germany ( Section 23 BwHFV ).