Social insurance
In Germany the system of social insurance contributions is well developed and offers comprehensive protection for employees. If you work in Germany subject to social insurance, you are as a rule a member of the following five statutory insurance schemes:
Statutory health insurance:Statutory health insurance is one of the most important social insurance schemes in Germany. It covers the costs of doctor’s visits, hospital stays and many medicines and therapeutic measures. Dental treatment and dentures can also be reimbursed under certain conditions.
Statutory long-term care insurance:Statutory long-term care insurance provides a basic safeguard if you become permanently in need of care because of illness. It usually concerns older people, but can also affect younger people who have become in need of care because of accidents or illness.
Statutory pension insurance:Statutory pension insurance pays employees a pension after they retire. Roughly speaking, the amount of the pension is based above all on income and the number of years you have worked in Germany. Pension insurance also supports people who have to leave working life early because of reduced earning capacity or occupational disability.
Statutory accident insurance:Statutory accident insurance covers the costs of clinical treatment and reintegration into working life after an occupational accident or in the case of occupational diseases. Accident insurance also provides financial support in the event of lasting impairment caused by an occupational accident.
Statutory unemployment insurance:Statutory unemployment insurance grants unemployed people a wage replacement for a certain period if they were covered for at least one year in the past two years and are looking for work again. In addition, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) (Federal Employment Agency) supports jobseekers with advice and placement services to make it easier for them to return to working life.
The system of social insurance contributions in Germany offers a comprehensive network of support and protection for employees. It is important to note, however, that the exact benefits and conditions for each social insurance scheme differ and can depend on various factors such as income and length of employment.