Frequently Asked Questions
No. International Medical Services and Business Development (IMS) is part of a public institution; it is a department of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg 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 Medical Center - University of Freiburg.
IMS handles all organizational tasks for patients coming from abroad for treatment in Germany. These include visa invitation letter, cost estimate, coordination of appointments, airport transfer, accommodation and care of patients and their families, cost control during treatment, sending out medical reports and settlement of treatment costs. Our aim is to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
The presence of a qualified interpreter is strongly requested by the doctors and medical staff in our hospital. IMS will be happy to provide you with a list of interpreters from which you may book an interpreter of your choice. All interpreters are freelancers. You book and pay for their services yourself.
Before travelling here, you will receive a detailed cost estimate, which includes the statutory costs for treatment, doctors’ fees as well as fees for infrastructure and administration and a risk premium.
According to hospital policy, the treatment costs always have to be paid in full before your admission to the hospital (both inpatient and outpatient). In case you need visa support, the full amount has to be transferred to the Medical Center – University of Freiburg before we are allowed to issue a visa invitation letter.
You will receive a detailed final invoice within 8 weeks after discharge from the hospital. The difference between the deposit and the final invoice has to be reimbursed either by the hospital or by the patient.
Yes, all separate invoices of the different departments can be provided on request.
Invoices for the individual departments are compiled by external accounting centres. Once all separate invoices have been received and processed, IMS will assemble your final invoice. We kindly ask for your understanding that this accounting process may take up to 8 weeks. We strive to always provide you with your medical reports as soon as possible. It is possible that pending laboratory results may delay the completion of your medical report.
The Medical Center – University of Freiburg is a maximum care hospital, which covers the entire south-west of Germany. The large number of patients our doctors see every day plus emergencies may cause delays in appointments.
No. In Germany, medical treatment and all medical services except plastic surgery are exempt from value-added tax. However, you can get back the value-added tax paid on medication or medical supplies you buy from pharmacies and medical supply stores. Please contact your patient manager for further details.