Legal basis and consequences: Can the doctor's office impose penalties for missed appointments?

Legal basis and consequences: Can the doctor's office impose penalties for missed appointments?

According to a report by www.infranken.de, many patients have already found themselves in the situation where they were unable to attend a doctor's appointment at short notice. But what are the consequences if you don't show up for a doctor's appointment? The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center has clear answers to these questions and explains the legal basis for default fees. There is no generally valid legal basis for cancellation fees for missed medical appointments. Each case is assessed individually in court, with loss of earnings playing a crucial role. If a replacement patient is found, a cancellation fee is not permitted.

Specialized practices that make appointments well in advance can charge a cancellation fee in the event of a short-term cancellation, as the loss of earnings cannot be replaced. It is strongly recommended that medical appointments be canceled as early as possible to allow the appointment to be rescheduled and to avoid loss of earnings. The consumer advice center emphasizes that it is best to postpone an appointment by mutual agreement in order to avoid a cancellation fee.

The question of whether medical practices can refuse patients depends on the circumstances. In the event of an emergency, a legally insured patient may not be refused. If there is no emergency, the practice may refuse the patient, but must provide a valid reason for doing so. Patients have to pay a fee for an uncancelled appointment themselves, as health insurance companies do not cover this.

From an economic perspective, charging cancellation fees for missed appointments can help practices compensate for their loss of income and increase their efficiency. However, this can also lead to dissatisfaction among patients and affect the doctor-patient relationship. It would therefore be advisable to establish transparent and fair guidelines for charging default fees in order to minimize possible negative impacts on the market and the consumer.