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Germany Health Insurance in Germany
Germany Health Insurance in Germany | Health Insurance in Germany |
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As of 2009, the German State health scheme (GKV) is mandatory for anyone earning less than €48,600 (gross) per annum with the GKV costing 15.5% of an employee’s eligible gross salary, up to a maximum of €6,675 income. Full private medical insurance plans are available, however, to the self-employed and those with earnings above the EUR 48,600 threshold. However, for those mentioned above, who are eligible to take out full private medical insurance, with effect from 1st January 2009, the Health Insurance law (Versicherungsvertragsgesetz) will now require any such person, resident in Germany, who is not part of the compulsory State health insurance scheme, to hold a health insurance policy that meets the requirements of the law. The major legal requirement that affects a private health insurance policy is that it must meet certain minimum requirements – for example, all medically necessary in-patient treatment without exclusion – and be provided for by an insurer who is licensed in Germany. The one main exception to the new law is that this does not apply to EU Nationals who are sent to Germany by their employer to work inside the country for twelve months or less. For any insurer that is not licensed in Germany, or does not meet the minimum requirements, then their private medical insurance is classed as ‘additional’ and ‘supplementary’ to cover required by law. What this means, in effect, is that should anybody fall into the category of being self employed or have an income above the minimum threshold above, then any private medical policy they decide to take in opting out of the State scheme, must meet the minimum requirements and be provided by a German licensed insurer. For those whom the State scheme is mandatory, then it would appear that private medical insurance can still be purchased, but this is deemed simply as ‘supplementary’ or ‘additional’ to that scheme. They cannot opt out of the State scheme and replace it with private medical insurance.
This is our current understanding of the German State health scheme (GKV) and no liability whatsoever can be accepted for any errors or omissions contained therein. |
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