Medical treatment

There are many reasons to see a doctor, from vaccinations to counselling, medical examinations, diagnosis and the treatment of health conditions.

It is best to always contact your family doctor first. They are usually familiar with you and your medical history. This means that your family doctor knows which treatment, additional diagnostics, or other specialists are best for you.

As an SBK customer, you are of course free to choose whether you want to go to your family doctor first or visit a specialist practice directly.

If you always want to see your family doctor first, you can opt for family doctor-centered care. Your family doctor will then be your first point of contact for all health concerns or complaints. Depending on the case, he or she will then refer you to a suitable specialist practice. This gives you the assurance that you will always receive the right specialist treatment.

Generally speaking, you can consult a specialist without a referral. A referral is only important if your doctor is providing laboratory services or you are seeking medical diagnostics or treatment from practitioners of nuclear medicine, pathologists, radiologists, radiotherapists or transfusion physicians. 

GP-centred care is also the exception here. If you choose this approach, you will need a referral from your GP in order to see a specialist.

A letter of referral is valid for the entire quarter in which it was issued. If the doctor named in the referral letter only begins treatment in the following quarter, the letter of referral issued in the previous quarter may still be used, provided that the insurant has a valid health care card at the time of treatment. 

We will cover the costs of all medical services for you within the scope of the statutory regulations.

Many doctors offer their patients additional medical services that insurants must cover themselves. These are known as personalised healthcare services (IGeL). The medical benefit of such services has not been sufficiently scientifically proven, so statutory health insurance does not usually cover them.

You can contact the doctor of your choice directly. All you have to do is show your SBK health care card and we’ll do the rest. A co-payment is not required for medical treatment.