BEO MedConsulting Berlin GmbH

Insured patients can only choose health-care providers with whom their health insurance fund has a contract. In order to conclude a contract with an insurance fund, health care providers, such as pharmacies and therapy praxes, have to demonstrate their eligibility.

Previously, health-care providers had to conduct individual tests for every health insurance fund or union. Since 2010, the health insurance funds are obliged to follow unified standards. For sake of simplicity, independent testing institutes conduct these eligibility tests. These Medical Retailer Qualification sites ("Präqualifizierungsstellen") are, in turn, supervised by the Association of the German Statutory Insurance Funds (GKV Spitzenverband). Even though these medical retailer qualifications are recognized by every health insurance fund, it does not automatically mean contractual relationship. Nevertheless, the qualification process reduces timely, administrative and financial efforts on both sides.

The transition period lasted until the end of 2015; since then, the previous medical retailer qualifications have lost their validity. The Medical retailer qualification is valid for five years, then needs extension. By starting the relevant renewal process on time, applicants can avoid a complete new qualification process.

BEO BERLIN® is no longer a medical-retailer qualification site. The update of the Health and Medical-aid Supply Law is effective as of 10 April 2017. The Ministry of Health and the Association of the German Statutory Insurances (GKV Spitzenverband) have now decided that all “prequalification” bodies must be accredited by the German Accreditation Office (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle – DakkS) according to the internationally valid standard DIN EN ISO 17065: 2017. This affects all "prequalification” bodies nationwide.

We, BEO BERLIN®, have decided against this accreditation. On the one hand, we would like to steer our focus back to our core competencies: consulting. This means that we are still available for inspection and advising. On the other hand, the costs or subsequent costs of this accreditation will be so high that a continuation of a “prequalification” office is not economically viable.