Health insurance in Germany
You would like to live and work in Germany? To get a residence permit you need a health insurance in Germany. Since 2009 every person, who lives in Germany as a resident needs a health insurance.
How does health insurance in Germany work?
In Germany there are two health care systems. The Statutory health insurance and the private health insurance
Statutory health insurance
90 % of the people who live in Germany are in the public system. All the people, who are salaried professionals are insured in the statutory health insurance. There are about 100 different providers who differ in premiums and benefits. 95 % of the benefits are establihed by the lawmaker. If you are treated in hospital or by a doctor the payment comes directly from the health insurance. You do not have to pay the bill in advance. You just give your insurance-card and the payment will be made between insurance and the doctor or the hospital. If you reach an income of 59.400 EUR (2020) per year or you are self-employed, you can choose between the two systems.
In the statutory system you get the following main-benefits
- Hospital benefits
If you have to be treated in hospital, you get the medically necessary treatment. You have a claim for a more bedded room, which is usually by three persons per room.
- Out-patient benefits
If you need to go to the doctor the medically necessary treatment will be paid. If a drug will be prescribed, you have to go to the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, you often have to pay 5 EUR as your own share
- Dental treatment benefits
The dental treatment benefits have been reduced over the last years. The annual control will be paid by the insurance. But if you need for example a tooth replacement, you have to pay your own share, which is by 60 – 70 % of the bill.
Private health insurance
In the private health insurance you also get the benefits in the three areas, which can b much better than the benefits in the statuary system. Which benefits you get exactly, depends on the product. The lawmaker just established a minimum of benefits which lies on the level of the statuary system. The deductible is not allowed to go over 5.000 EUR. The following benefits characterize the private health insurance:
- 1 or 2-bedded room in hospital
- 80 – 90 % of all dental treatment will be paid by the insurance
- the doctor or the hospital can account by the tariffs for doctors
- waiting times are much shorter
How much is health insurance in Germany?
Health care in Germany is not for free. In the statutory system the premium depends on the salary. The whole premium is actually by 14,6 % and is valid for all providers. Depending on the certain provider you have to pay an additional premium which is by 1 % in the average. The premium is always shared between the employer and the employee. The premium will directly be deducted o your payroll. The premium in the statutory health insurance is limited. If you reach a monthly salary of € 4,537.50 (2019), you only have to pay the 14,6 % + additional premium on that income. The statutory health insurance is a family-insurance. You only need to pay the premium one time for your whole family. The premium does not depend on how many people your family has.
In the private health insurance the premium will also be shared between the employer and the employee until a certain limit. The premium depends on the product and the insurance company you would like to close. The premium will not be deducted on your payroll. You have to pay the premium from your own account and the employer will pay his share with the payroll. In the private health insurance you have to pay for each insured person.
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Care insurance in Germany
If you are member of the statutory health insurance, you also need to pay in the public care insurance. The premium is by 3,3 % and will also be shared by the insured person and the employer. If you have kids, the premium will be reduced to 3,05 %. In the private health insurance the premium for the care insurance depends on the age you had when you started the insurance.
Which are the main differences between the two health care systems?
The private health insurance is characterized by the following criteria
- Benefits can be agreed individually
- The agreed benefits are guaranteed
- A part of the premium will be reserved to stabilize
- The insurance will check your health before making a contract
The statutory system is characterized by the following criteria
- Only medically necessary benefits
- Benefits are not guaranteed in the future
- Solidarity (the benefits are backed by the
- Family-insurance
- Acceptance duty (no health check)
Which is the best health insurance in Germany?
This question is not easy to answer and depends on the benefits you would like to get. We recommend a personal consultation to make you an offer.
Conclusion
The health insurance system is one of the best in the world. The medical treatment has a high quality and the several parties of the system work close together to reach the best results for the patients.
To find the right insurance a personal consultation is absolutly necessary.