Private or Public Health Insurance in Germany [Which One To Choose?] 

immer wieder tolle videos - vielen dank!

You are awesome, as always :) Danke!

Thank you so much for this...

You are both sooo.... GREAT! :D... And your content is absolutely GROSSARTIG! :D Bleibt gesund! Habt Freude!

Oh thanks for the very very informative video.

I moved to Germany last November and have been trying to understand the difference between private and public insurance since then! This video is very informative and concise, thank you!

Awesome video, indeed! Funny enough, our Public health insurance resembles a little to the Private one in Germany. Each family member has to have and pay for their own public h.i. regardless of age or status - but that is if they want to. As a result a majority (if not all) of unemployed people go without health insurance often for years, and it creates an ever widening gap, and if something happens they need to pay a stable sum for a simple checkup. Basically all hell breaks loose... in a loop. Also no preventative checkups unless you think about it and organize them yourself. The table and your insights make it really easy to find your way around and start thinking in practice, not just see the information! I will definitely go with the Public as a start. I saw in your guide that transitioning from private back to public is in general harder, so. I don't have the details yet from my company, but chances are I will get that on site. Oh, and I don't expect my income to hit past 66K in the first 6 or 12 months. Easy. 🙂 I was talked by friends and colleagues out of making my move in the middle of July, better and final consideration, also moneywise, is moving in mid September. No matter how I envy you almost with tears on the cool temperatures I see right now in the forecast for DUS. Is it really 20 deg.? 😢Next summer I'm not moving from there!

Finally had time to watch this video! I was wondering if I ought to consider private health insurance but given that I won't be a student for too long I think it would be easier for me to just stay on my current insurance plan

Great Vido! I'm glad you mentioned the "Zusatzversicherung" (additional private insurance) because this really leaves everyone up to each preferences. IMHO this privately paid "add-on", combined with the even volontary public insurance, gives your a) the most flexibility and b) the less financial stress. I am voluntary in the public insurance and thus don't have to care about any bills or re-imbursements. But I have picked with the private partner of my public insurance an "add-on" for dental matters and one for elderly care. I did not choose the add-on for having a single room when in hospital or seeing the chief doctor of the department because the "lower ranks" of doctors mostly have more experience due to their every day business and they will refer you to the "chief" anyways when they are uncertain.

It's important to note here the private practices are only private because the government has strict laws about how many clinics of a certain specialisation can be in a certain area... Basically forced scarcity so they have full control on how much money is spent on health... That is why Stuttgart a rich city in Germany has public covering specialists on the level of 100 times less than a average city in Greece where I come from.

Very good information about our German system of health insurance. I have to add some important aspects: Private insurances attract young people with low fees, what is no problem, when you are healthy and a single. When you get older or have a family, the fees are increasing and I know, that all retired people with private insurance pay more than 900 € per month and person, for their risk of being old. While the fees of the public health insurance keep stable, and familiy members (non working spouse or children < 18) can be included. And when you once are in a private insurance, you are not allowed to get back to public health insurance. The only possibility you have is to change into a basic tarif, but you loose all the priviliges you had before. I think the combination of public health insurance and an add-on private insurance is the best way...

Awesome video, very helpful😊

Would you create a video about integration courses that includes B1 German language and orientation course?

I think you've just been lucky jen. I'm not sure if it's just my BFs city (duisburg) or if it's just the specific specialists but my bf has to wait 3 to 6 sometimes 9 months to see a doctor. He was on a waiting list for a therapist for 2 years. I'm not joking.

One different experience on my side: coming from an EU country to Germany, the employer offered me the option for public health insurance from the start(TK). I guess it depends on the employer if we get public or private.

Oh dear, there seems to be a disconnect between German law and public health insurance being able to reject an applicant and then throw them into the arena of private health insurance that can decide what to insure and what not to based on pre-existing conditions. 😢

What do you mean by statutory health insurance, not a private specialist (doctor)?

Important to note that Germans (and indeed residents of all EU countries) can also access free healthcare in the UK still too, by showing their EHIC card. The UK and EU continue to offer each others' citizens reciprocal healthcare rights in the post-Brexit world :)

Hi! really nice content. Just got a couple questions and appreciate if someone could help me...Currently I am student and along my whole stay in Germany I have been ensured with TK (the public one), but soon I'll finish my degree and also have to change my residence permit to "job seeker". TK while I get a job is almost double the price. Would it be a good recommendation to switch to private insurance? and if so, which private insurance company is valid for the authorities at the time of the appointment to extend the residence permit?. Thank you very much!

You Guys are just amazing 😊The kind of information you provide is crisp and clear!! My name is Naveen and i will be moving to Germany (Wendlingen) for employment along with family in October 1st week. Can you please let me know why exactly they might reject public health insurance if our salary is more than 66k annual gross salary? Because, am more interested in public health insurance for me and my family. Your inputs will be highly appreciated 😊

Any idea how expensive braces can be in Germany and if they are covered under any insurances?

Can you also make a video on how to get a Hausarzt in Germany ?

I'm going to apply for student visa. It requires health insurance. Not sure which one. And the websites always recommend private..

Which is better for chronic herpes?

hey i want to know how can i switch from private health insurance to public?

One of the other Australians slipped and hit his head on some concrete stairs while I was on exchange. All the Germans were freaking out and I was like "let's just call an ambulance?" But none of them wanted to cos apparently it's a bit more complicated? We just call 000 and tell them what part of the country we're in. We were also drinking spirits age 16-17 so maybe they were scared of the police 🤷‍♀️

Is it possible to switch to public insurance after being covered by private insurance?

does this Insurance cover dependents such as aging parents

Are all medicine costs prescribed by the doctor covered by Public insurance?

How long should we pay insurance in Germany? After retirement do we still need to pay for it?

I moved to Germany with a Spanish passport last October. I registered as a Spanish living in Cologne by the end of February (the registration took some time). I got a job in March in a company from the USA, so I had to "open a company" here, so I could issue receipts, here in Germany I am a freelancer (selbstandig). DAK rejected me, I have been trying to get in the krankenkasse since march! I am SO frustrated, besides the frustration, if something happens to me, I have no idea what to do. Now Barmer is checking my case, I dont understand, I have the money to pay for it (ITS A LOT EVEN BEING PUBLIC). Anyways, I just wanted to vent, if anyone had this experience, can you please share the outcome?

Can you have both public and private?

Will my private insurance cost me more later in my life? Ie: it will cost me 400EUR/month at 35, will it stay the same at 70?

Die Unterschiede in Wartezeiten auf Termine sind schon krass. Ich bin privat versichert und bekomme zum Beispiel einen Termin am nächsten Tag. Im Hintergrund höre ich am Telefon, wie einem anderen Patienten gesagt wird, der Doktor könne Termine erst in etlichen Monaten wieder machen. Ein anderes Beispiel: in kenne jemanden, bei dem eine schwere Erkrankung nur durch eine Untersuchung rechtzeitig entdeckt wurde, die die gesetzliche Krankenkasse nicht bezahlt hätte. Da ist es noch das geringere Probleme, dass für Privatpatienten bei manchen Ärzten ein Wartezimmer mit bequemen Sesseln vorhanden ist und man von Helferinnen gefragt wird, ob man einen Kaffee möchte, während das Wartezimmer für die gesetzlich versicherten Patienten mit Menschen vollgestopft ist, die auf unbequemen Stühlen sitzen. Die Ursache ist natürlich, dass die Ärzte von Privatpatienten ein Vielfaches dessen kassieren, was sie für die Behandlung eines gesetzlich Versicherten erhalten, wenn sie für eine Untersuchung überhaupt etwas bekommen, was am Quartalsende der Fall sein kann. Mir haben mehrere Ärzte unabhängig voneinander versichert, dass die Behandlung von Kassenpatienten bestenfalls kostendeckend ist. Der Praxisgewinn resultiert nur aus der Behandlung der Privatpatienten. Automatic translation by google: The differences in waiting times for appointments are blatant. I have private insurance and can get an appointment the next day, for example. In the background, on the phone, I hear another patient being told that the doctor won't be able to make appointments for several months. Another example: I know someone whose serious illness was only discovered in time through an examination that the statutory health insurance company would not have paid for. It is even less of a problem that some doctors have a waiting room with comfortable armchairs for private patients and the assistants ask you if you would like a coffee, while the waiting room for patients with statutory insurance is crammed full of people who sit on uncomfortable chairs sit chairs. The reason is, of course, that the doctors collect from private patients many times what they get for the treatment of a person with statutory insurance, if they get anything at all for an examination, which can be the case at the end of the quarter. Several doctors have assured me independently of one another that the treatment of patients covered by health insurance covers costs at best. The gain in practice results only from the treatment of private patients

I need to get dental filling in 1 tooth. Would TK insurance cover it? Or do I need to get supplementary insurance? I am an MS student and currently don't earn money.

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This video can be ended in 2 minutes.. JUst tell me which one is cheaper!

10€ is cheaper than a hotel or even a hostile. Can I buy health insurance and stay at the hospital when I visit Germany? 😂😂😂

Can we get dental treatment with public insurance?

🎉 "Promo SM"

Aok are rude they always treat those that not speak German like nothing