How much you pay for statutory health insurance depends on your monthly income. But what happens if your monthly income is zero euros?
The statutory health insurance (GKV) is largely financed by contributions from the insured. The amount of these depends on the insured person’s income subject to contributions and the statutory contribution rate. But what if there is no income subject to contributions and you want to take out voluntary statutory health insurance?
In this case, the state sets a fictitious minimum income on the basis of which the minimum contribution to statutory health insurance is calculated. The fictitious income is currently 1,178.33 euros per month.
Since you are not entitled to sick pay as a non-working person who, for example, lives off your savings or is co-financed by your partner, the reduced contribution rate of 14 percent applies to you.
An example: Let’s assume that your statutory health insurance provider charges the average additional contribution of 1.7 percent. Then statutory health insurance without income will cost you around 185 euros a month (15.7 percent of 1,178.33 euros = 184.99 euros). However, the additional contribution for each individual health insurance provider can also be below or above 1.7 percent.
Important to know: Anyone who is insured under statutory health insurance must automatically pay a contribution to statutory nursing care insurance. The contribution rate for nursing care insurance is 3.4 percent. That’s an additional 40.06 euros per month (3.4 percent of 1,178.33 euros). Anyone who has no children and is older than 23 pays an additional 0.6 percent. That results in a minimum monthly contribution to statutory nursing care insurance of 47.13 euros (4 percent of 1,178.33 euros). Read here who is considered childless in nursing care insurance.
If you do have income again over time, the type of income will determine which contribution rate is used for those who are voluntarily insured. The reduced contribution rate of 14 percent (plus additional contribution) applies to income from renting and leasing, income from capital assets such as shares and fixed-term deposits, civil servant salaries and maintenance that your divorced spouse has to pay you. As long as this income remains below the fictitious minimum income, the minimum contributions calculated above will continue to apply to you despite your own income. If you earn more, the contribution increases accordingly.
If you receive pensions, retirement benefits such as company pensions, orphans’ benefits or income from self-employment that you earn in addition to a pension or retirement benefit, the general contribution rate of 14.6 percent (plus additional contribution) will be levied on this income. If this income remains below the fictitious minimum income, you pay a monthly minimum contribution of 192.07 euros (16.3 percent of 1,178.33 euros).
By the way: The contribution to statutory health insurance is not only capped at the bottom, but also at the top. This is regulated by the so-called contribution assessment limit. Read here what this is exactly and where it currently lies.
