Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists

What is a KZV and who belongs to it?

The 17 statutory dental health insurance associations are self-governing bodies whose oversight lies with the social or health ministries of the states. Anyone who is licensed as a panel dentist or employed in a practice and treats statutory health insurance patients is automatically a member. Through the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists, around 63,000 panel dentists are included nationwide. The work is financed through member contributions deducted as a percentage of fees.

What are its tasks?

The KZV is responsible for ensuring dental care for statutory health insurance patients in its district, negotiates collective agreements and point values with the state associations of health insurance funds, and distributes fees to practices. It maintains the dentist register pursuant to § 3 of the Licensing Regulations for Panel Dentists, approves the employment of assistants under § 32 of these regulations, organises emergency services, and reviews billing. Decisions on licensing itself are made by a licensing committee composed equally of dentists and health insurance representatives. Unlike in human medicine, there is currently no nationwide demand planning in dentistry, so establishing a practice is in principle unrestricted.

What does this mean for graduates from EU countries?

Anyone wishing to establish a practice or treat statutory health insurance patients as an employee must first be entered in the dentist register. This normally requires a two-year preparatory period. However, § 3 paragraph 4 of the licensing regulations exempts dentists who have obtained a qualification recognised under EU law in another EU or EEA state and are authorised to practise there. Whether this applies in an individual case is decided by the responsible KZV, and the evidence from the country of origin must be complete and translated. The application for registration should be submitted several weeks before the application for panel practice admission.

Distinction from the Chamber

The KZV is responsible for the statutory health insurance system; the Dental Chamber is responsible for professional law. Those who treat only private patients do not need KZV membership, but do need chamber membership and licence to practise as a dentist. Billing is then done under the fee schedule for dentists rather than BEMA. A purely private practice is economically viable only in a few regions, which is why most new practitioners choose the path through statutory health insurance admission.