Additional breast cancer screenings

Standard examinations covered by statutory health insurance include breast examinations for women aged 30 and over and mammograms for women aged between 50 and 69. Moreover, doctors’ practices offer so-called personalised healthcare services (‘individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen’, or IGeL for short) for early detection, such as an ultrasound or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of the breast. These examinations are not recommended as screening for early detection in healthy women by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), which determines the services covered by statutory health insurance. Therefore, statutory health insurance companies cannot cover these services; the patient must pay for them privately. Each woman must make her own individual decision whether she wishes to undergo the examination. In order to make an informed decision, it is important to clarify all essential questions about the examination and weigh up the possible advantages and disadvantages. We provide you with an overview of the most important information about these additional examinations.

You can find tips for talking to your doctor and what you should bear in mind with regard to personalised healthcare services on our information pages on the subject of IGeL. If you have any questions about personalised healthcare services, you can also call the SBK Health Hotline on 0800 072 572 570 00 (free of charge within Germany).