Although there has been general compulsory health insurance in Germany since 2009, thousands of people in this country are not insured – according to official figures, around 61,000 people. According to experts, the number of unreported cases is up to 1.5 million people.
This is due to various reasons: they often cannot pay the contributions, are overwhelmed with the applications or they lack the necessary documents. “It can also affect the self-employed who, for example, have no longer paid their private health insurance company”explains Börger.
Enough time for the patients
The patients in the CAYABörger describes the practice as frequent “not suitable for waiting rooms”: “These are people who stink, who babble, who are funny, who may seem threatening. And they’ve come to the right place.” The 70-year-old is a specialist in internal medicine with additional qualifications in psychotherapy and addiction medicine.
After running his own family doctor’s practice for decades, Börger knows how impersonal treatments are in the regular health system. With his work as a volunteer doctor in the CAYA– He is now practicing medicine for the first time, as he has always wanted: he takes time for his patients, pays them attention and listens. “Having time for the patients. That’s actually how medicine should be”says Börger.
Reach people where they are
Die CAYA-Practice is housed in a container located in close proximity to the ark, where people have the opportunity to shower, do laundry and receive a warm meal. The medical offer reaches the people it is aimed at where they already are.
But CAYA wants to ensure medical care not only in large cities, but also in rural areas. For this purpose, the association has organized a bus, the mobile practice. They are still looking for volunteer doctors. The need is increasing. “The number of social housing is decreasing massively. The number of people in need is increasing”says Professor Mark Oette, who CAYA-Practice founded in 2022.
Free and unbureaucratic medical care
The practice is run by the non-profit association CAYA eV run by people from the region and financed through donations. The offer is intended to provide free and unbureaucratic medical care. Since it was founded three years ago, the team has treated over 500 patients – many of them several times.
So there is a lot to do for Börger and his colleagues. Börger finds meaning and fulfillment in his voluntary work. He feels people’s gratitude every day: “If we don’t do it, no one would do it.”
WDR television also reports on this topic in the program Westpol on Sunday, October 17, 2025, from 7:30 p.m.
