Are you dissatisfied with your statutory health insurance? Then it is time to think about a change. A guide for your cash change.
You are spoiled for choice: There are currently around 100 statutory health insurance companies in Germany that differ from each other – both in terms of costs as well as the services and the so -called election tariffs. But when and how can I change my health insurance at all? T-Online answers the most important questions about changing health insurance.
A change is always possible if you were insured with a health insurance for at least twelve months. The regular notice period is then two full months at the end of the month. The deadline runs as soon as your new health insurance company has informed your old one about the change (more on this below). If this happens, for example, on December 15, you will be insured with the new health insurance company from March 1.
Attention: If you have chosen an election tariff, the binding period can be longer than twelve months. An election tariff, for example, can be the so -called family doctor model, in which you always have to contact your family doctor with health problems instead of going directly to a specialist. Health insurance companies reward this with premiums or the loss of additional payments. Election tariffs usually have their own minimum terms.
However, there is still the possibility to terminate extraordinarily. You always have this special right of termination if your health insurance company increases the additional contribution. A twelve -month minimum membership is not necessary for this. Most of the election tariffs can also be terminated with an increase in premiums. The only exception: the sick pay tariff.
Important here: The special right of termination only applies until the end of the month in which the cash register collects the increased contribution for the first time. As with ordinary termination, the notice period is two months. So long you have to pay the higher additional contribution.
Under certain circumstances, you can also change health insurance without any termination – from one day to the other. This is called the right to choose the cash register. You are always entitled to change your insurance relationship.
This is the case, for example, when changing an employer or if your salary is over- or falls below the so-called annual wage limit, i.e. it becomes a voluntary member of the statutory health insurance from a mandatory member or the other way around. Anyone who has been employed so far and becomes self -employed has a health insurance right to vote.
The same applies if you have been family -insured and now have to insure yourself, for example because you take your own job. But even if you become unemployed and receive unemployment benefit, you can change the health insurance company with immediate effect.
If your insurance relationship changes, you will then have 14 days to make use of your right to choose. If you do not do that, remain insured with your previous health insurance company.
You can change the statutory health insurance as often as one of the above points applies to you. As a rule, a change is possible every twelve months. But even with an increase in the additional contribution or if your insurance relationship changes, you can change the health insurance company. There is no general limit.
The change of statutory health insurance is now very easy for insured persons. Since 2021 you can save a letter of termination to your old cash register. Instead, only register with your new cash register, the insurers with each other.
You can usually fill out the membership application at the new cash register directly online on the website. Once you have sent the online application, the old health insurance checks whether you meet all the prerequisites for a change and confirm the termination electronically with your new health insurance within 14 days. This then informs you that the change is complete.
Good to know: You no longer have to present your employer to the new health insurance company certificate. He receives this automatically and digitally from the cash register itself.
