Currently, it is often difficult to get a doctor’s appointment. This is especially true for visits to specialists and is a problem even if you have a referral. Sometimes it helps to go to the doctor’s office in person during office hours. Many doctors also have the option of making an appointment online. If you still have to keep looking, you can find help at the appointment service of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Baden-Württemberg (KVBW). It arranges appointments with specialists free of charge from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the telephone number 116 117 and also helps to find a family doctor or pediatrician. However, in emergencies, such as a serious accident, you have to dial 112. On weekends and outside office hours, the medical on-call service can also be reached on 116 117.
A prerequisite is membership of a statutory health insurance company, such as the AOK. Anyone who wants an appointment with a specialist—for example, a specialist for ear, nose and throat diseases—needs a referral from their family doctor. This is not required for ophthalmologists and gynecologists. A referral is also not required for family doctors and pediatricians. Appointments with psychotherapists are arranged only for an initial consultation. Dentist appointments are not available at all.
How quickly a doctor’s appointment is available depends on how urgently the patient needs treatment. To get a specialist appointment within four weeks, the referral must have an urgency code. Otherwise, there will not be an appointment for eight to twelve weeks. In both cases, it is important to have the referral ready when talking to the appointment service center.
The appointment service center offers a maximum of two appointments; there are no preferred appointments. The doctor may also be located in a neighboring town, so you have to drive a little further.
Further information is available on the homepage:
https://www.kvbawue.de/patienten/patientenservice-116117/terminservicestelle-fuer-patienten.
This link from the KVBW also offers help in finding a doctor:
https://www.arztsuche-bw.de/
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Kliniken in Tübingen. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
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