Key legal question
Whether demanding a deposit before inpatient treatment violated tariff protection under the KVG.
Extracted holding
The deposit request did not violate tariff protection because it only secured payment timing and did not require payment above the applicable tariff or a reasonable reference tariff.
Extracted reasoning
Under the then-applicable Tiers garant system, a provider may seek reasonable advance security for expected treatment costs. The insurer's guarantee did not create a binding full-payment promise, and the hospital could not be forced to treat without security where no binding tariff existed.