Here's how you can benefit from the cold plasma method
The use of cold plasma to treat nail fungus is clearly defined from both a medical and economic perspective. What is crucial for you and your practice is not the technology itself, but the question: How can the service be billed accurately?
The Application of Cold Plasma in Different Target Groups:
Target audience |
What is possible |
What doesn't work |
Recommended positioning |
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Podiatry
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GKV-covered treatments that are suitable for the prescription, indication and authorisation. Cold plasma as a private supplementary service or a service paid for by the patient as part of a specialist treatment plan. In cases of suspected nail fungus, widely document the testing and laboratory procedures. |
Do not bill cold plasma as a statutory health insurance (GKV) nail treatment or complex treatment. No private surcharges for statutory health insurance (GKV) components. |
Clearly distinguish between statutory health insurance (GKV) services and the private cold plasma series. Work with photographs, diagnostic findings, consent forms and cost agreements. |
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Sector-specific
alternative practitioner podiatry |
Private medical diagnosis and treatment within the authorised speciality, including fungal testing/sample collection, with a standard fee structure and package prices. |
No direct billing to statutory health insurance (GKV) solely on the basis of a sector-specific alternative practitioner’s licence. No services outside the scope of the licence. |
Position it as a private medical-podiatric treatment with a clear diagnostic basis, patient information, reimbursement risk and follow-up monitoring. |
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Beauty
podiatry |
Beauty care, comfort and wellness services within the permitted limits; refer patients if findings are unclear. |
No diagnosis or treatment of nail fungus, no promises of a cure, no claims under statutory health insurance. |
Limit communication to care, appearance and comfort. In cases of suspected nail fungus, provide standard advice and refer the patient to a doctor or podiatrist. |
Billing for cold plasma treatment due to nail fungus
According to the current statutory health insurance (GKV) classification of medical treatments, cold plasma treatment due to nail fungus is not a service that can normally be billed to statutory health insurance. However, individual components of the overall treatment can be billable if they independently meet the criteria for an existing statutory health insurance benefit: correct indication, a doctor’s prescription, an authorised service provider, widely documented medical necessity and no duplicate private billing. From a professional standpoint, a ‘test-first’ approach should precede any treatment for nail fungus: visual examination alone is not sufficiently reliable.
The right choice for your practice:
Test question |
Reply |
Consequence |
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Is cold plasma treatment itself eligible for reimbursement under the German statutory health insurance?
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No. Cold plasma is not currently recognised as a standalone podiatric treatment due to nail fungus. |
Arrange this as a private service; do not substitute it with statutory health insurance (GKV) item codes. |
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Can preparatory services be billed?
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Yes, but only if they were a prescribed, reimbursable podiatry service even without cold plasma. |
Separate the statutory health insurance (GKV) portion and the private portion in terms of timing, content and billing procedures. |
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When can a patient submit a bill themselves?
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For private health insurance (PKV), government-subsidised health insurance (Beihilfe) or supplementary insurance, subject to the relevant tariff; for statutory health insurance (GKV), only subject to prior assessment on a case-by-case basis or via the cost reimbursement route, with no warranty. |
Leave the reimbursement risk in writing with the patient. |
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When is it purely a private service?
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If no suitable regulation, indication or authorisation is in place, or if the directions involve cold plasma therapy, supplementary care or beauty use. |
Private fee agreement before treatment is to proceed, a clear invoice and no indication as to whether the costs will be covered by health insurance. |
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Why test beforehand?
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Not every change in the nails is a fungal infection. Trauma, psoriasis, eczema, pressure, age-related changes or mixed infections can look similar. |
Before using the cold plasma/antifungal treatment pack, take a sample, document whether a rapid test or laboratory analysis was carried out, and, if in doubt, establish the condition through a dermatological assessment. |
Structured 6-week treatment programme:
Two treatment days per week for the first two weeks, followed by a targeted break to allow for recovery. In weeks 5 and 6, a stabilising final session is held in each week – to ensure efficient and practical directions.
Key figure |
Low private package |
Medical therapy package |
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Patient price
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240.00 euros |
598.95 euros |
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Example of the direct material cost method
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6 spacers: approx. 34.98 euros |
6 spacers approx. 34.98 euros plus care product 9.95 euros plus a PreventID test (calculated at) 17.90 euros net |
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Contribution margin before staff costs, area and tax
|
205.03 euros |
536.12 euros |
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Equipment amortisation at 2,095 euros
|
approx. 11 parcels |
approx. 4 cases |
Performance |
Duration |
Price (example) |
Disclaimer |
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Initial treatment
|
50 mins |
59.50 |
Medical history, findings, preparation of the nail |
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6 cold plasma therapy sessions
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approx. 10 mins each |
75.00 € (6 × 12.50 €) |
Treatment of 5 nails, 2 minutes of active plasma application per nail |
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6 single-use spacers
|
- |
45.99 € (6 x 6.95) |
1 spacer per therapy session |
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Final treatment
|
50 mins |
59.50 € |
Nail treatment, check-up, care plan, prevention |
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Total
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approx. 160 mins |
€240.00 including VAT |
Fully comprehensive treatment programme comprising 6 sessions |
“I hadn’t expected or anticipated the positive results we can see in our practice. Above all, I hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. For 17 years, I’ve been battling nail fungus with a touch of frustration, or encouraging patients to undergo painful cryotherapy for warts, with particularly lengthy additional treatment at home. And now, in just a few months, I’m seeing really visible progress – or even a cure after just a few appointments!
I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t been treating some of these patients for years. I can hardly wait to see with my own eyes how even the slow-growing nails develop over the coming months.”
- Elisabeth Prinz, podiatrist and specialist alternative practitioner in the field of podiatry
Treatment process for nail fungus
Before (12 January 2026)
After (30 April 2026)
