Private health insurance
In principle, there is the possibility of ensuring health insurance in Germany or privately. Many personal factors play a role in the insurance cover. A decision should be taken carefully, as it has a lasting impact on the future financial situation.
So which health insurance is the right one? How do the individual providers differ, which services can you expect which admission criteria apply?
-Benefits of private Private health insurance offers you a range of services that - depending on the tariff - often goes beyond the minimum level of statutory cash registers. The first important plus: the preferential treatment by doctors and dentists. After all, private insurers usually participate in medical services with significantly higher rates than the statutory cash registers. Free doctor's selection, full reimbursement and preferential treatment for hospital stays are just some of the benefits of private insurance. You can influence the amount of your contribution in private by choosing an individual service package itself. For many - especially for singles, childless and good earners - private health protection is even significantly cheaper than the statutory compulsory insurance. Every tenth German therefore already has private health insurance.
-Who is allowed to insure himself? Self-employed, workers and civil servants You can provide private health insurance as a self-employed person or freelancer - regardless of the amount of your income. As an employee, you may switch to private individuals if your annual gross income is above the compulsory insurance limit of 69,300 euros for 1 year (this corresponds to 5,775 euros per month; sold as of 2024). Also officials and other beneficiaries, e.g. B. Judges or deputies are usually privately insured. The private is often cheaper Private health insurance can be cheaper for professionals with average income than the legal. A clear financial advantage almost always results for good-earning singles and childless couples who are fully employed. Self-employed entrepreneurs and freelancers must already ensure their protection on their own responsibility.
-Services of private The range of services offered by private individuals is considerably more extensive than that of the statutory cash register - by choosing the appropriate tariff, you can decide for yourself the scope of services of your contract. Preferred treatment An important plus of private health insurance is the preferential treatment by private doctors and dentists - ultimately, private insurers for medical services usually reimburse higher rates than the statutory health insurance offices. High quality services As a private patient, you will enjoy many other benefits depending on the tariff chosen. This includes free choice of doctor, full reimbursement also for alternative or very expensive treatment methods, no-payment of medication or treatment by alternative practitioners. Private health insurers also reimburse the costs for dental treatment up to 100 percent - also for implants and other high-quality dental proof solutions. In the clinic you can enjoy chief doctor treatment, accommodation in the single or twin room and free choice of hospital, depending on the agreed rate.
-Costs of private You determine the article The amount of contributions in private health insurance depends on the chosen service package - from the low minimum tariff for young self-employed persons to the comprehensive top rate for eligible. The article also depends on the age and pre-existing conditions of the insured person as well as the desired excess. In private insurance, you can save heavily if you are willing to cover a certain amount of your medical expenses themselves annually. In addition, those who do not cost their insurer for a year do not cost a cent back one to three monthly fees are often returned. Health check at the doctor Before you conclude the contract, you usually need to fill out a detailed questionnaire on pre-existing conditions and possible health risks. Sometimes a health check is also due at the doctor. Important : Do not make any false information when filling in the questionnaire and when visiting the doctor - this can cost insurance cover in an emergency.
-Finding the right one If you have decided to switch to private health insurance, you are facing a variety of providers with a large number of products and tariffs. However, the online conclusion of a private health insurance without expert advice is not recommended: The topic is complex, many details have to be observed.
-Thesis Due to the ever-increasing costs in the healthcare sector, it cannot be ruled out that contributions will continue to rise in private health insurance. This can become a financial burden if you, as a retiree, no longer have the same high income as you do at the time of your employment. For this reason, ten percent of the contributions of all privately health insured persons between 21 and 60 years of age are credited to a special age fee - thus ensuring that your contributions remain relatively stable later. If you want to save on retirement, you can also switch from 65 to a low-cost standard rate that offers at least the benefits of a statutory ticket office - or you do without individual offers such as the chief physician treatment or the clinic individual room and keep your contribution cheap in this way.
-Return to the Legal Return is possible for falling income If you have switched from a statutory cash register to private guests, you cannot easily return - the legislator wants you to benefit from the low contribution rates of private health insurers at a young age and avoid increasing contributions with a change in old age. A resumption of legal information is only possible if your income falls permanently under the insurance limit of 69,300 euros (as of 2024). However, if you are over 55 years of age, you must continue to stay in private. Back also in case of unemployment If you are completely exempted from the statutory insurance obligation, there is no way back into the statutory cash registers - such an exemption is possible upon application if you want to stay in private, even though your income has fallen below the compulsory limit. The only exception: unemployment. Anyone who contacts the labour authority is usually back to legal insured by the Labour Authority. In principle, however, the change back to a statutory cash register should be well considered, because this lost the age provisions that your private health insurance has made for you.