Legal regulation on missed appointments in medical practices according to financial expert Wolter

Legal regulation on missed appointments in medical practices according to financial expert Wolter

How www.apotheke-adhoc.de reported, there is currently no uniform legal regulation regarding the admissibility of compensation for missed medical appointments. Courts have made different rulings on this. Experts like Ms. Wolter point out that in certain cases, medical practices are allowed to charge a cancellation fee for missed appointments, especially if the practice can only be reached electronically or via apps. Refusing a new appointment after a missed appointment can also lead to problems. Ms. Wolter explains the doctor-patient relationship as a treatment contract according to Section 630a of the German Civil Code (BGB). Doctors are obliged to treat and patients have to pay if the health insurance company does not cover the treatment costs. If patients neither keep nor cancel their appointments, this can massively disrupt the practice.

In certain situations, doctors are allowed to charge a cancellation fee, especially if appointments are canceled at short notice. This is particularly relevant if the practice is specialized, has long wait times, operates by appointment only, performs prepared procedures, or requires additional staff. Practices with many patients in the waiting room often quickly find replacements for canceled appointments. It is also generally permitted for medical practices to reject patients in certain cases. But doctors with insurance approval must have a valid reason for the refusal, especially if there is no emergency.

An important point emphasized by experts like Ms. Wolter is the accessibility of the practice. Some practices are difficult to reach by telephone these days and primarily or exclusively make appointments online. This can particularly disadvantage older patients who cannot or do not want to use online booking systems. The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center advises canceling medical appointments that cannot be kept as early as possible, either by telephone or email. If fees are due, both privately and publicly insured patients must pay them themselves.

These facts show that the allowance of default fees and the rejection of patients by medical practices can in certain cases have an impact on the market and consumers. In particular, the different regulations and the increasing digitalization of the healthcare system can lead to challenges for patients and practices. There is a possibility that the law will change in the future to address such issues.