Our health is our greatest assetPrivate health insurance

Private health insurance offers a broad spectrum of benefits. Depending on the rate, the minimum level offered by the statutory health insurance funds can be far exceeded.

A primary advantage is the preferential treatment by doctors and dentists in private practice. This is because private insurers generally pay significantly higher rates for medical services than do the statutory health insurers. Consequently, free choice of physician, full reimbursement and preferential treatment for hospital stays are the great advantages of private insurance.

With private health insurance, you can influence the amount of your premium yourself through individual benefits packages. For singles, childless individuals and high earners in particular, private health protection is even significantly cheaper than statutory health insurance. Consequently, one in ten Germans is already insured privately.

Self-employed persons, employees and civil servants
As a self-employed person or freelancer, you can take out private health insurance, regardless of your income level. Civil servants, and other beneficiaries of state aid, such as Members of the Bundestag, are also usually covered by private health insurance.
As an employee, you can choose private health insurance if your annual gross income exceeds the mandatory insurance limit of €59,400 (€4,950 a month; as of 2018) for 1 year.

Private is often cheaper
Private health insurance is cheaper than statutory health insurance for many working people. Almost all high-income singles and full-time dual-earner childless couples gain a clear financial advantage. Self-employed entrepreneurs and freelancers must take care of their own coverage anyway.

The range of benefits offered by the private sector is considerably more extensive than that offered by the statutory health insurance funds. By choosing the appropriate rate, you decide for yourself on your contractual benefits.

High-quality benefits
As a private patient, you can optionally enjoy many advantages. These include: free choice of doctor, full reimbursement for alternative or expensive treatment methods, medication or alternative practitioner treatment without co-payment. In addition, private health insurers pay up to 100 percent of the cost of dental treatment. This can also be agreed for implants and other high-quality denture solutions.

In the clinic you get, depending on the agreed rate: Senior physician treatment, accommodation in a single room or double room and free choice of hospital.

You determine the premium
The amount of the private health insurance premiums depends on the benefits package that is selected. The spectrum here ranges from the low minimum rate for young self-employed persons to the comprehensive top rate for demanding individuals.
Your contribution also depends on age, previous illnesses and the desired deductible. This means that you can save significantly with private insurance if you cover a certain amount of your medical expenses yourself each year.

Likewise the following applies: Those individuals who do not cause any costs for their insurer for one year often receive one to three monthly premiums paid back to them.

See the doctor for a medical check-up
Before signing the contract, usually you must fill-out a detailed questionnaire on previous illnesses and possible health risks. Sometimes a medical examination is also required.

Important: Do not make any false statements here. In an emergency, this would jeopardize insurance cover.

Have you decided to switch to private health insurance? Now you are faced with a multitude of providers offering different products and tariffs.

Without expert advice, taking out private health insurance online is risky. Since there are many details that must be taken into account for this complex matter.

Due to constantly rising health care costs, premiums in private health insurance may also continue to increase. If you have a lower income as a retired person than during your working life, this can become a burden.

For this reason, ten percent of the contributions of all persons with private health insurance between the ages of 21 and 60 are applied to a retirement provision protection scheme. This ensures that your premiums also remain relatively stable even later.
If you want to save money after retirement, from age 65 on you can switch to an inexpensive standard rate that offers at least the statutory health insurance benefits. Or you can dispense with individual offerings, such as senior physician treatment or hospital single rooms.

Return is possible if income drops
If you have changed from a statutory health insurance fund to a private health insurance fund, you cannot go back to the statutory health insurance any time you want. Lawmakers want to prevent the situation that you benefit from low premium rates from private health insurers at a young age, and then circumvent increasing contribution rates through by changing back to statutory health insurance later in life.

A reinstatement into the statutory system is only permitted if your income drops permanently below the mandatory insurance limit of €59,400 (as of 2018). If you are over 55, you will have to stay in the private health insurance anyway.

Return also in the case of unemployment
Once you become completely exempt from the statutory insurance obligation, there is no way to get back into the statutory health insurance funds. This exemption is possible on request, if you desire to remain in private health insurance, even though your income has dropped below the compulsory insurance limit.

Only exception: Unemployment. Anyone who registers as unemployed person is usually again insured with statutory health insurance by the employment agency. Transition back to a statutory fund should always be well considered. Because the old-age provisions formed for you by your private health insurance will also be lost.