Werden Heilpraktiker- und Osteopathie-Leistungen erstattet?

Yes. Most supplemental health insurance plans reimburse alternative practitioner services based on the Fee Schedule for Alternative Practitioners (GebüH)—typically at 2.0 to 3.5 times the standard rate. Depending on the plan, osteopathy is reimbursed as part of the alternative practitioner, physical therapy, or a separate coverage module, often requiring a doctor’s prescription.

Are services provided by alternative practitioners and osteopaths covered?

Alternative medicine and osteopathy services are one of the key differentiating features in most modern supplemental health insurance plans—services that statutory health insurance generally does not reimburse, or reimburses only to a limited extent, but which are routinely covered by supplemental health insurance.

Reimbursement for alternative practitioners

Alternative practitioners follow the Fee Schedule for Alternative Practitioners (GebüH), which sets a fee rate for each type of treatment. Supplementary health insurance typically reimburses up to a defined percentage:

Up to 1.5 times the GebüH rate: Basic plans, which fully cover simple treatments
Up to 2.0–2.5 times the standard rate: Standard budget rates, suitable for most treatments
Up to 3.5 times the standard rate (maximum rate): Premium plans, which also cover complex individual treatments

Eligible for reimbursement are traditional alternative medical services such as acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, bioresonance therapy, herbal medicine, and psychosomatic treatments.

Reimbursement for Osteopathy

Osteopathy is covered differently depending on the insurance plan:

As part of the services covered for alternative practitioners, if the osteopath is also an alternative practitioner (reimbursement according to the GebüH)
As part of physical therapy, if the osteopath is a physical therapist (reimbursement according to the fee schedule for physical therapists)
As a separate component with specific caps, such as 600 euros per year
From the general health budget for pure budget plans

Is a doctor's prescription required?

For treatments by alternative practitioners, this is usually not the case—a direct visit and submission of the alternative practitioner’s invoice are sufficient. For osteopathy, many insurance plans require a doctor’s prescription, though this usually involves a brief referral from a general practitioner costing between 15 and 30 euros.

What is not covered

Cosmetic and lifestyle-related treatments
Preventive measures without a medical indication
Treatments provided by unlicensed alternative practitioners (check status)
Medications and supplements sold by the naturopath (often separately)

What to look for

Anyone who sees a naturopath or osteopath who charges higher incremental rates should check, before starting treatment, the maximum rate covered by their insurance plan. Submitting a request to the insurer along with a cost estimate can help avoid unexpected out-of-pocket expenses.

Related terms

Which preventive medical exams are covered by the bKV?

Supplementary health insurance (bKV) typically covers advanced preventive care services not included in the statutory health insurance (GKV) catalog—such as annual comprehensive checkups, cancer screening for those under the GKV age limits, HPV tests, services not covered by statutory health insurance (IGeL), travel vaccinations, and modern imaging procedures. A list of eligible services can be found in the respective plan terms and conditions.

See the full answer

What does the bKV cover for dental prosthetics?

Supplementary health insurance typically covers the full cost of dental prosthetics—crowns, bridges, implants, and dentures—either as part of the annual health budget or through a separate dental coverage option. Standard annual budgets range from 300 to 1,200 euros. Some plans have tiered coverage limits during the first few years of the policy or short waiting periods for major dental treatments.