Recent pandemic and international havoc have reshaped numerous state structures all over the world, regardless of which part of our planet is in question. Still, some economies have managed to answer numerous challenges imposed by the emergency unseen so far, and adjusted their financial systems to both save the old, and potentiate new job creations. Additionally, Coronavirus put other social aspects to test, among whom health systems reliability and competence have been affected the most. Without question, a small number of countries, such as Germany, managed to respond to challenges and bring out a favorable outcome, considering their health systems did not collapse, and they maintained demand for new jobs. Thus, the question of how much health insurance for expats in Germany is – arises, while the answer awaits in the lines below.
Out of Your Comfort Zone also has a great article for more info on the best international health insurance for ex-pats.
Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Germany?
Organized countries would not be attributed as such if no specific features were distinguishing them from the ones who failed to sustain and potentiate stability under adverse circumstances. Since Germany managed to minimize the consequences and sustained satisfactory productivity rates in spite of unfavorable prospects, it is easy to conclude that they did something different than the rest of the world.
The thing that enables Germans to stand out from the rest of the global crowd is precisely the mandatory health insurance. In a nutshell, you must be healthy insured at a peculiar institution in order to enter Germany legally. Considering not only how many citizens Germany has, but also the number of foreign professionals that come to its mainland every year, it is crucial not to turn a blind eye to the importance of that regulation. Therefore, health insurance in Germany is mandatory and it is highly unlikely that it is going to change in near future.
Types of Health Insurances in Germany
Considering that you would be breaking the German law if you would choose to work and live there without health insurance and that you would be subjected to paying prescribed financial penalties by acting in such a fashion, it is vital to assess which type of insurance would fit your wants and needs best.
Even though there are two major types of health insurance in Germany, we advise you to do your homework and take all the criteria you consider important into account before you make a decision. To make a long story short, in Germany, you can choose between public and private health insurance.
Private Health Insurance
Firstly, we should introduce you to the private sector, since not everybody can enjoy this type of privilege if they intend to try their luck in Germany. Namely, there are 4 major groups of people that are fit for this type of commodity, so you would be considered eligible if you would earn between 60 000 and 61 000 euros or if you were a freelancer. Besides them, both students over 30 and the ones whose paycheck fails to surpass 450 euros also fall under that group.
At https://www.ottonova.de/en/v/private-health-insurance/expats you can find additional info and detailed reports on how to make the most out of your efforts.
Public Health Insurance
In a nutshell, a working man in Germany spends just under 15% of their monthly gross income on public health insurance. Now, the percentage is equally shared between the employee and the employer, so they both participate. So, the more you earn, the bigger the price tag you pay.
Now, if you would earn more than 4 500 euros, the remainder would not be taken into calculus. Namely, the highest amount both you and your employee would potentially have to spend on public health insurance would not exceed 360 euros.
Additionally, both the ones who have kids and those who do not have to pay for about 3% of their monthly income in the name of compulsory nursing care.
Private Health Insurance Price Divergence
If you would opt for a private insurance sector, you should be informed about numerous aspects you should consider before you make a decision. Namely, the price you will have to pay depends on what sort of insurance package you opt for.
To make a long story short, a health insurance company’s protégé pays for a particular package, and packages are crafted according to the overall coverage a package implies. The more complicated health status would imply a bigger package and is often associated with elder citizens and individuals with severe health conditions.
On the other hand, young people frequently opt to pay for basic packages in order to save up as much money as they can. Thus, when private health insurance pricing is in question, we should say that one can pay between as little as 175 euros and as much as 1550 euros.
What is particularly interesting is that some private insurance agencies would offer you a premium package and allow you to retrieve the investment if nothing happens after a pre-agreed time frame. Even though this type of insurance might sound too good to be true, we would not recommend you bind yourself unless you are more than satisfied with your monthly income and could spare a portion of it to finance the venture. These types of contracts are usually long-term, and failing to come up with a monthly payment could cost you both your money and health insurance package.
A Piece of Advice
Considering you want to start your German journey legally, we advise you to inquire about which type would fit your wants and needs before you buy a one-way ticket. Numerous agencies specialize in working with expats, and craft health insurance packages according to what would suit them best, so the sooner you start looking, the better the chances that you will cross paths with what fits your health status and your budget well.
We hope that pieces of information from the lines above introduced you to something you will make use of in near future. Germany is known as a country of hard-working people and will welcome anyone willing to respect their part of the deal. Insuring yourself would be a insgood start to commencing that deal.
