Do you have private health insurance?

Because from my personal experience (in Cologne), the interaction goes like this:

  “I need an appointment for an MRI.”
  “Next one I can offer is in 4-8 weeks.”
  “I have private health insurance.”
  “Can you come in today?”

Anecdotally, when I dislocated my shoulder in Sweden in 2006, the obly way to even get an MRI was to pay out of pocket.

> Do you have private health insurance?

I do.

But when I was waiting for the MRI I asked the three other people waiting there with me, out of curiosity about this exactly.

Two told me they had public health insurance, one had been given the appointment one day prior, the other three. So at least for Berlin there seems to be no difference.

But I can confirm that for seeing specialists, it does make a difference. My partner has public health insurance. I would say if I have to wait one week to get an appointment, she has to wait two. But it's never months, like you read from people that live in certain other countries.

On a sidenote, my appointment for the MRI was at 8:15pm. It seems the radiology places here all run the machines long into the night to max out workload. I had a CT a few day later at a different clinic at 9pm!

FWIW I can also get radiology appointments within a few days in Berlin. I don't have private health insurance.

I’ve come across a place that does this to force people to use their higher paying insurance rather than lower paying systems. Quality providers. /s

>in Berlin I can get a knee MRI appointment within two days

Are you sure about this? Luckily I have not been in need of an MRI for a few years, but I remember having to wait a bit despite having private insurance.

> Are you sure about this?

I can confirm this for Berlin from personal experience this January.

Had an MRI at medneo Diagnostikzentrum (appointment within two days) and a CT at Elisabeth Klinik (same day appointment).

But as I wrote above, both were late. I.e. 8:15pm and 9pm.

Hamburg here, same. Got 2 MRIS in the last 5 years and both could have been the next business day if it would have fit my schedule. and all that as a "kassenpatient"