FAQ
No. International Medical Services and Business Development (IMS) is part of a public institution; it is a department of the Freiburg University Medical Center and not a private company. All members of the IMS staff are employees of the hospital. They get a fixed salary independent of the number of patients under their care and no commission.
As a public institution, the IMS Department is financed by the University Medical Center Freiburg.
IMS handles all organizational tasks for patients coming from abroad for treatment in Germany: visa invitation letter, cost estimate, coordination of appointments, transfer from the airport, accommodation and care of patients and their families, cost control during treatment, sending out medical reports, settlement of treatment costs. We are there to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
IMS interpreters are specifically qualified and trained freelancers. They are paid from the deposit made to IMS on the basis of the timesheet signed by the patient. Waiting time also has to be paid. IMS interpreters do not make appointments and do not provide information as to costs.
► What is included in the IMS cost estimate?
Before travelling to Freiburg, you will receive a detailed cost estimate which includes the statutory costs for treatment, doctors’ fees as well as costs for laboratory tests and diagnostic radiology. The cost estimate always contains a note that amounts paid in excess will be paid back to you.
► Why does the patient have to pay the treatment costs in advance?
Receipt of the money is a condition for IMS to write the visa invitation letter, but also for the respective embassies to issue the visa. The expected duration of treatment determines the validity of the visa.
The hospital is responsible for ensuring that patients enter the country only for treatment and promptly leave the country once they have completed their treatment.
Patients coming to Germany from abroad for medical treatment are obliged to pay the treatment costs in advance as a deposit.
► How are accounts settled for IMS patients?
After about 8 weeks, you get a detailed final invoice listing all items. Any credit balance will be paid back to you. If there is a debit balance, we will ask you to pay it without delay.
► Why can’t I take medical letters and the invoice with me when I leave?
After you have left, your file will be circulated through all the departments involved in your treatment before being sent to the invoicing department. This is done through postal channels, as the accounting centres are located all over Germany. We may therefore ask you for your understanding that it takes us about 8 weeks to prepare your final invoice.
As regards the medical letters, we try to get them as soon as possible. It may happen, however, that the doctor cannot dictate and sign them immediately, e.g. because he is out of office.
► Why do I have to wait to see a doctor although I have an appointment?
The University Medical Center Freiburg is a maximum care hospital covering southwest Germany. In addition to their nomal duties, our doctors have to deal with unexpected emergency patients which can occasionally lead to longer waiting times.
► Do I have to pay value-added tax on medical services?
No. In Germany, medical treatment and all medical services except plastic surgery are exempt from value-added tax. However, from pharmacies and medical supply stores you can get back the value-added tax paid by you.
