Health insurance
We hope that you fall ill in Germany as rarely as possible. As an employee in Germany you are entitled to high-quality health insurance that provides comprehensive protection for your health. The German healthcare system is distinguished by its high efficiency, modern facilities and comprehensive care. Health insurance in Germany offers a broad range of benefits, including outpatient and inpatient treatment, preventive check-ups, medicines and much more. In addition, as an employee you as a rule have access to prompt and straightforward appointments with GPs and specialists. The German healthcare system has an excellent reputation and is one of the best in the world. We hope that you can benefit from the advantages of the German healthcare system.
As an employee in gainful employment in Germany you have the option of covering your family members, including your non-working partner and your children, free of charge under your statutory health insurance. In this way you can ensure that your family in Germany enjoys the same high-quality health insurance cover as you do. No additional costs arise for you.
IMPORTANT: When you take out health insurance, you are automatically covered by long-term care insurance as well. Long-term care insurance guarantees you comprehensive support if, because of a serious illness or disability, you are no longer able to look after yourself and need help. Long-term care insurance then steps in and ensures that you receive the care and support you need to continue managing everyday life as well as possible. Cover under long-term care insurance therefore gives you additional security and ensures that you are well provided for if you become in need of care.
General information
In Germany there is a statutory health insurance obligation for all residents who do not exceed a certain income. Statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) is a compulsory insurance scheme in which contributions depend on income and are borne half by the employer and half by the employee.
There is also private health insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV), which is suitable for people with a higher income or for the self-employed. Contributions here depend on age, health status and the insurance benefits.
In statutory health insurance there are certain benefits that the health insurance funds cover. These include, for example, doctor’s visits, hospital treatment, medicines and preventive check-ups. Alternative therapies such as homeopathy can also be reimbursed under certain conditions.
The quality of medical care in Germany is regarded as very high, which is also underlined by the high density of doctors and clinics.
Choosing a health insurance fund
If you work in Germany as an employee, you are obliged to register with a health insurance scheme. You can choose between various statutory health insurance funds or opt for private health insurance if you meet certain conditions.
To choose a suitable health insurance fund, you should first consider your individual needs and requirements. An important factor here is the level of contributions, which can vary from fund to fund. You should therefore find out about the contribution rates and benefits of the various health insurance funds and compare them with one another.
A further factor you should take into account is the additional benefits on offer. Some health insurance funds, for example, offer bonus programmes, prevention courses or alternative therapies. Consider which benefits are personally important to you and whether the health insurance fund also offers them.
In addition you can find out about the quality of the health insurance funds’ benefits. This may, for example, concern waiting times for appointments with a doctor or the satisfaction of insured persons. Rating portals on the internet can also help with the decision.
Also note that you as a rule have a minimum contract term with a health insurance fund and cannot switch to another fund immediately. You should therefore inform yourself thoroughly before deciding on a fund and, where appropriate, make use of counselling services.
Overall, when choosing a health insurance fund you should therefore look not only at the contribution rate but also at the benefits offered and the quality of care. Only in this way can you ensure that you are optimally covered in the event of illness and receive comprehensive medical care.
The health card
The health card is a card issued by statutory health insurance in Germany. It serves as proof of your health insurance and contains important information such as your insurance number, your name and your date of birth. With the health card you can identify yourself to doctors, hospitals and other medical facilities, and the costs of medical services are settled directly with your health insurance fund. The health card thus makes access to medical care easier and ensures that the costs of necessary medical treatment are covered by your health insurance fund.