Health insurance – the most important questions and answers

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Lerato Khumalo

Private or legal

This is what you should know about your health insurance


Updated 10/10/2025 – 9:24 amReading time: 4 minutes

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Question of age (symbolic image): Young people usually benefit from private health insurance, but it becomes expensive as they get older. (Source: Jochen Tack/imago-images-bilder)

In Germany, every citizen must have health insurance. Legal or private. However, the insurance is not free. t-online clarifies the most important questions.

Whether old or young, employed or self-employed, unable to work or looking for work – in Germany everyone has to health insurance be. This is important to know because uninsured people may have time repay in which they are not officially part of any insurance company.

No matter which one Life situation You are: If your Insured status is unclear, you should always speak to your health insurance company promptly and report any changes immediately.

The duty, one health insurance applies to all people who reside in Germany. In addition, the so-called applies to many insured persons Compulsory insurance in statutory health insurance (GKV). These groups of people have to be covered by statutory health insurance and cannot simply do so if they wish private insurance change.

Employees who earn less than monthly 5,362.50 euros gross earn are compulsory members of the statutory health insurance company. Calculated per year is the so-called Compulsory insurance limitalso called the annual salary limit, at 64,350 euros (as of 2021).

People who were previously privately insured can partially exempt themselves from the insurance requirement liberate leave and remain in private health insurance. You can insure yourself privately officerself-employed and Freelancer – unless you decide to take out voluntary statutory insurance.

Everyone becomes a member of the statutory health insurance company without risk assessment insured. The amount of the contributions is based on a percentage of the level of income. people with Pre-existing conditions So they don’t pay more than healthy people. Conversely, healthy people do not benefit from the fact that they go to the doctor less often than other insured people.

Statutory health insurance is a Solidarity system – That’s exactly why it’s not that easy to return from private insurance to statutory insurance. This is intended to rule out the possibility that someone, for example, has one at a young age cheap private health insurance and then switches to the statutory health insurance system with increasing contributions.

A particular advantage of statutory health insurance is that: Family insurance. It allows low-income spouses and children to be insured at no additional cost. students must decide at the start of their studies whether they want to be legally or privately insured.