Waiting Times for Elective Treatments Based on Insurance Status in Germany
Author Information
Author(s): Markus Lungen, Bjoern Stollenwerk, Philipp Messner, Karl W. Lauterbach, Andreas Gerber
Primary Institution: Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne
Hypothesis
Does insurance status affect waiting times for elective outpatient treatments in Germany?
Conclusion
Patients with statutory health insurance wait significantly longer for appointments compared to those with private health insurance in Germany.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with statutory health insurance waited 3.08 times longer for appointments than those with private insurance.
- Waiting time differences were significant across various specialist fields.
- Physicians are more likely to offer appointments to privately insured patients due to higher reimbursement rates.
Takeaway
If you have private health insurance in Germany, you can get an appointment much faster than if you have public insurance.
Methodology
The study involved calling 189 specialist practices to request appointments for elective treatments, with the caller randomly assigned as either privately or statutorily insured.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of practices that only accept private patients.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a single geographical region, which may not represent other areas.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on practices in urban areas of Germany, with a mix of private and statutory insurance patients.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
[1.9, 5.0]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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