Who pays for ISC catheters in Germany?

With a doctor's prescription, statutory health insurance covers the cost. Supply runs through licensed medical suppliers (e.g. PubliCare, GHD). A co-payment of up to 10 euros per month may apply unless the patient is exempt.

What must a catheter prescription include?

Diagnosis, product name and manufacturer, Charrière size, quantity per day and prescription period. If the 'aut idem' field is ticked, the supplier may not substitute a different product.

How do I keep track of my catheter stock?

The Bladder & Bowel Manager app counts down the stock with each catheterisation, warns before it runs out and shows when the prescription needs renewing.

Reference

Catheters on prescription — and always enough in stock.

Name: ISC catheters on prescription: coverage, ordering and stock tracking
Creator: André Bajorat

If you self-catheterise, you need supplies every day. In Germany, statutory insurance covers the cost — but the prescription must be right, and stock must last. This page explains the process from doctor to delivery.

Who pays for ISC catheters?

ISC catheters are classified as medical aids (Hilfsmittel). With a doctor's prescription, statutory health insurance covers the cost in full — minus the legal co-payment (up to 10 euros per month unless exempt). Private insurance terms vary.

Supply runs through licensed medical suppliers — for example PubliCare, GHD or Manfred Sauer. They also provide guidance and training.

What the prescription needs

A medical aid prescription for ISC catheters requires:

Box 7 (Hilfsmittel) ticked
Diagnosis — e.g. "neurogenic bladder dysfunction due to spinal cord injury"
Product name and manufacturer — e.g. "Coloplast SpeediCath Compact Set"
Charrière size and tip type if relevant (Nelaton, Tiemann)
Quantity per day and prescription period — e.g. "6×/day, 3 months"

Tip: tick aut idem. When this field is marked, the supplier must deliver exactly the prescribed product. Without it, they may substitute a "comparable" product — which does not always fit.

In addition to catheters, accessories can be prescribed: urine bags, gloves, and — under an OTC exception — antiseptics (e.g. Octenisept) and lubricants for catheterisation.

Standing prescriptions

If the need is stable, the doctor can issue a standing prescription (Dauerverordnung). The supplier submits it to the insurer; once approved, it applies until revoked. This saves doctor visits — but if requirements change, a new prescription is needed.

Keeping track of stock

Six catheters a day, three months' supply — that is 540 units. Sounds like a lot; it runs out faster than expected. Without counting, you may find yourself without catheters on a weekend.

The Bladder & Bowel Manager app solves this: every catheterisation subtracts one, remaining days are displayed and a warning fires in time. If you use more than one catheter type, both stocks are tracked. Since version 4.13, the package scanner reads barcodes and labels — name, Charrière and material are filled in automatically.

ISC guide · Recognise a UTI · Fluid Intake · The app

Sources

German medical aids directive (Hilfsmittel-Richtlinie, § 92 SGB V)
Catheter prescription guide (Selbsthilfeverband Inkontinenz) ↗

About the author

André Bajorat has a spinal cord injury and has been self-catheterising since 2025. He built the Bladder & Bowel Manager app and writes about life with SCI at plötzlich querschnitt.