Fast Facts: German Health Insurance
- The average health insurance rates charged by the Krankenkassen are approximately 15% based on your monthly salary up to a maximum of 3,563 Euros. This means that the monthly maximum premium is almost 540 Euros.
- In addition, the mandatory nursing care insurance costs a maximum of 60 Euros per month.
- Members of the state health plan pay 10 Euros per quarter which will be collected by the first doctor and dentist you visit. Should you need to visit a different practitioner during that same quarter, you will have to prove that you have already paid the 10 Euros, so always keep your receipt.
- Members of the state health plan pay up to 10 Euros in co-payments for prescription medicine and must accept the generics.
- Hospital stays cost 28 Euros per day (max. 280 Euros per year) for members of the state health plan.
- Members of the state health plan can shop around for the best price and provider of supplemental insurance for dental, private doctor, private hospital accommodation etc.
Pros and cons of private health insurance:
- Private health insurance which offers more choice is available to persons earning above the threshold set each year and is available from approximately 50 insurance companies. Some do not accept foreigners until they have been resident here for at least three years.
- Pros: Choice of many tariffs, choice of doctors and hospitals (generally world-wide though with some limitations), payment of alternative/natural remedies, higher reimbursements for dental work, reimbursements for vision products.
- Cons: Each insured person has their own premium, based on the chosen tariff, gender and age.
- Underwriting can lead to a supplemental premium load if there are any pre-existing conditions.
- Premiums must be paid even if you ill or are not working due to the raising of children.
- There are possible limits on dental reimbursements in the first years and out-of-pocket expenses are possible.
Information provided by:
Cathy J. Matz-Townsend
International Insurance Broker
Kronberg, Germany
www.insure-invest.de
Copyright 2007. All information as per June 2007 - no guarantee for accuracy or completeness. Published with permission from author.
