How to get health insurance in Germany
The healthcare system in Germany is considered one of the best in Europe. Anyone who lives in Germany is required to have some form of health insurance, in other words it’s compulsory to register with either a statutory German health insurance scheme or private insurance scheme.
The three options for health insurance in Germany are:
- The government regulated public health insurance system “Statutory health insurance”
- private health insurance from a German provider
- private health insurance from an international insurance provider
There are over 100 different health insurance companies in Germany. Some of them are statutory health insurance, and others are private. Some of the most popular insurance companies are AXA, Allianz, DAK Gesundheit, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and Gothaer Group
The biggest advantage of of having a statutory health insurance is that under certain circumstances you can also include your spouse and children in your health insurance scheme under a “Family Insurance” scheme.
Applying for public health insurance in Germany is easy. If you have a residence permit, you can apply directly to insurance companies, they will require some form of identification i.e passport or ID, then they will send you forms to fill out. Once they have successfully reviewed and processed your application, they will send you your insurance card. In many cases if you are relocating to Germany after securing a job offer, the employer may register you with an health insurance company.
Having a health insurance, ensures that all residents in the country have access to hospital and outpatient medical treatment. In principle, your health insurance provider will cover the costs of your doctors’ visits, hospitalizations and (partly) medical treatments and medications.
Some doctors only accept patients who are members of private health insurance companies, and these patients pay the associated fees directly to the doctor. Since you do not have private insurance, you have to look for doctors who treat people with statutory health insurance.
If you work in art- or media-related professions, you can apply for admission to the German Artists’ Social Security Fund (Künstlersozialkasse). If admitted, you pay only half of the designated insurance contributions, and the Künstlersozialkasse covers the remainder.
Refugees who have a residence permit usually join a health insurance scheme and are therefore entitled to all regular services their health insurance company provides. Even if you do not have valid papers, according to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, you are still entitled to medical care for acute illnesses. To benefit from this regulation, you have to obtain a voucher (“Krankenschein”) from the Social Welfare Office in advance which you will need to bring at the doctors practice or hospital whenever you seek medical treatment or consultation.
If are looking to apply for a German visa, it’s mandatory to prove that you have health insurance in Germany.
There are many platforms which offer ways to compare insurance policies, premiums and benefits. You can also compare the different insurance premiums at www.krankenkassen.de.
Please note that, switching from a private health insurance scheme to a statutory one is often very difficult.