Health Insurance Cost in Germany: What You Must Know?

Germany requires its citizens to have health insurance. Thus, you need to know how much does health insurance cost in Germany if you’re moving to this country. International students are also required to register for public healthcare insurance. But some students can choose to obtain a private insurance plan.

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Germany? 

Or do you have to pay for health insurance in Germany? Yes, you do have to pay for healthcare coverage in this country.

For public healthcare insurance, the social security contribution is set at 14.6% of a worker’s gross salary. An additional contribution may be required, depending on the public healthcare provider.

The maximum cost that most people here will pay is €360. Every citizen must also pay for a nursing care contribution, which is 3.5% of your wage. The contribution is shared by the employee and employer.

Read: What is Health Insurance with Investment?

Will You Be Penalized If You Don’t Have Health Insurance in Germany? 

Yes. Because a health insurance plan is mandatory by law, you will be penalized if you don’t have adequate coverage.

What is the Real Cost of Private Health Insurance in Germany? 

Most individuals opt for public healthcare. However, certain individuals can choose private healthcare. For instance, individuals who are earning more than €60,000 can opt for private health insurance.

Unfortunately, the overall cost of private health insurance in this country isn’t that regulated. In that case, the cost varies widely in price.

Private insurance is set by how risky the patient is. It means that if the patient has a chronic condition, he may need to pay more for having private health insurance.

Individuals receiving higher salaries can save more if they choose private coverage. They can pay as little as €175 a month. This is cheaper than having public healthcare for people on high incomes.

But individuals who are at high risk may pay more for private health coverage.

Read: Where to Get Health Insurance without a Job?

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Germany for Unemployed? 

Many unemployed individuals can be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. These would include paying €0 for the health insurance per month. However, these unemployed must have paid social contributions for at least a year in the last 30 months before they can get such benefit.

For public insurance, non-working individuals can expect to pay around €180 a month.

The Cost of Health Insurance in Germany for Expats

As mentioned, Germany mandates residents to have health insurance. But the mandate doesn’t only apply to residents of the country.

Rather, the law also applies to expats or foreigners. But how much does it cost to have public health insurance if you’re an expat in Germany?

The health insurance providers in this country charge the same premium of 14.6% of the gross income. As soon as you arrive in this country, you need to obtain health insurance.

Fortunately, the country has a grace period from the registration date. Your employer can guide you through the process. But this applies to people moving from another EU country.

That said, if you are coming from outside the EU, you must have proof of German health insurance upon visiting the country or getting a residency visa.

In that case, you should have your policy in place before arriving in this country.

If you’re not familiar with the health insurance and its healthcare system in this country, then you must start getting informed.

As mentioned earlier, you need to get your insurance sorted before arriving in Germany. Although there are two types of health insurance in this country, foreigners applying for a visa can only obtain a private health plan. But they can switch to a public provider after a certain period of being in this country.

Read: The Health Insurance Exchange

Private Insurance and Public Health Insurance 

Whether you have private health coverage or public health insurance, you can access every health institution for doctor’s appointments and medical treatment. However, there are key differences.

For instance, if you have a public health plan, you can’t have coverage for dental implants, and private rooms in hospitals.

But you can obtain supplementary private insurance. If you have a public health plan in Germany but you wish for further coverage, you can choose to buy a supplementary plan.

The additional insurance will incur extra costs. However, it will be useful if you wish to be covered for items that are not part of a public health insurance policy.

Read: Where to Buy Health Insurance Online?

Why is the Cost of Health Insurance in Germany So Expensive? 

The country has one of the best health care systems in the world. It provides its residents with various insurance coverage options. Thus, it’s expected to pay more for those benefits.

It’s mandatory to obtain public health insurance in this country. If you don’t have any coverage, you will pay a heavy penalty if you have gaps in coverage.

The content rising of health insurance costs is the result of demographics. Medical cost inflation is also another reason. Plus, its large bureaucracy can be blamed on the creating cost of health insurance.

Summary 

How much does health insurance cost in Germany? The maximum cost is around €360. Residents are required to have a form of health insurance. Otherwise, they will pay a hefty fine. Foreigners are also required to present proof of coverage upon arrival to this country.