The largest German health insurance fund Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is a pioneer in enabling its members to seek treatment abroad. A 2008 survey found that around 1% of its members had care abroad in 2007, of which 7% went for scheduled healthcare, rather than for acute and emergency care while travelling. The insurer multiplied its sample to suggest that 272,000 booked ahead for care. This figure excludes spa visits and dental care not claimed back from insurers. A survey of those who had treatment abroad in 2009 suggests that 40% planned to do so, and of these 90% went for dentistry or spa treatment. For as spas and dentistry, the German customer has to pay a high proportion of the cost out of pocket. For those getting dental treatment abroad, the insurer pays out the same amount, so the balance paid by the customer when the cost is lower, is much less. As the overall cost of treatment is much lower, their own share of the costs will be much lower. Grossing up a small survey is statistically hazardous, so the insurer merely suggests that 1% of the TK’s 7.2m customers, or 72,000, had treatment abroad, but only 30,000 went for planned treatment. Multiplying this to the total population is dangerous, as TK tends to insure technicians who are generally wealthier, but with a population of 82million, a third of a million Germans had planned treatment abroad.

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