How do employees submit invoices to bKV?
Submitting claims is the only routine process through which employees regularly use their supplemental health insurance. It takes place directly between the employee and the insurer, without the employer being involved—which is crucial from a data protection perspective.
Three common submission methods
App-based (standard for modern insurers): Employees take a photo of the receipt with their cell phone, the app guides them through a few fields, and the claim is submitted in under two minutes. Reimbursement is typically deposited into the account within 5 to 10 business days.
Web portal: Log in via the insurer’s member portal and upload the invoice as a PDF or image. It takes a little longer than using the app, but it’s often the preferred option for people who don’t like using their cell phones.
Paper via mail: The traditional method using a form and enclosed original receipts. This method is becoming less common among modern insurers, but is still available everywhere. Processing time is often 2 to 3 weeks because of the additional time required for mailing.
What must be included on the invoice
- The patient's name and date of birth
- Date of treatment
- Treating professional, including address and qualifications
- Reason for diagnosis or treatment
- Individual services with fee codes
- Total amount; VAT shown separately
How quickly the refund will be processed
For app-based submissions, the standard processing time is 5 to 10 business days; for web portal submissions, it is 7 to 14 days; and for paper submissions, it is 2 to 4 weeks. Reimbursements are made via bank transfer to the account provided by the employee.
What the employer sees (namely, nothing)
At no time does the employer receive information about invoices submitted, medical diagnoses, or services used by individual employees. The only data that is shared with the employer consists of aggregated and anonymized usage statistics—such as the percentage of the workforce that has submitted at least one claim in a given year.
