The clinics earn foreign patients

Foreign patients in German hospitals more than welcome medical tourists. They offer the possibility of treatment costs extra to settle. Although the clinics make billions with these patients, many of them in the red.

• 1.2 billion were clinics in 2013 alone, through foreign patients
• Hospitals have a turnover of 90 billion euros
• Every second hospital in the red

For a treatment in Germany, you have to travel far: medical tourists from Russia, Arab countries or the European neighboring States. For German hospitals the opportunity cost of treatment extra-billing. Almost 1.2 billion Euro were German clinics in 2013, according to an estimate by the economist, Jens Juszczak of the University of applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg with patients from abroad.

The German hospital society (DKG) has the turnover of foreign patients according to their own figures, no Figures. The clinics do not publish, what are the revenues you generate with these patients. Overall, the hospitals generate the DCT, according to an annual turnover of 90 billion euros. "However, every second house writes almost red Zahlen", DKG spokeswoman Dagmar Vohburger says.

Important source of income for clinics

Foreign patients and especially medical tourists who travel for treatment to Germany, are therefore an important income opportunity for some clinics. The proceeds will be running outside of the budget, the clinics of German insurance companies. Patients from abroad are usually self-payers.

Of approximately 19 million hospital patients in Germany, about 95,000 came in 2013, according to the Federal statistical office from abroad – that is, about one half of one percent. Once 2000 patients with not exactly clarified origin.