Family Insurance: Free Co-Insurance of Family Members

Family insurance is the free co-insurance of family members under statutory health insurance. If you are a member of a statutory health insurance fund, your children and spouse are insured free of charge if they have no income of their own.

Children are always covered by family insurance until they reach the age of 18. Family insurance continues until the child's 23rd birthday if the child is not gainfully employed. Children are covered by family insurance until their 25th birthday if they are in school or vocational training. If vocational training is delayed by Federal Volunteer Service or comparable services, family insurance continues after the 25th birthday for the duration of the service.

No age limit applies to children who are unable to support themselves. Family insurance covers biological children, the children of children insured under family insurance, and, under certain conditions, stepchildren, adopted children, and foster children. Co-insured children remain insured free of charge after a divorce. The previously co-insured partner must arrange their own insurance.

Family members who are themselves compulsorily or voluntarily insured cannot be insured as family members. Self-employed family members and civil servants cannot be insured as family members either, if they carry out their work as their main occupation. Children are excluded from family insurance if the spouse of the statutorily insured person is not statutorily insured, the spouse’s salary exceeds the annual income limit (JAEG), and the spouse earns more than the statutorily insured person. During maternity leave and parental leave, spouses are not covered by family insurance if they were not covered by statutory health insurance before the leave.

Only dependents who are resident in Germany can be insured under the family insurance of a statutory health insurance fund. Students can remain covered by family insurance during a semester abroad, since their usual place of residence remains in Germany. Free family insurance also applies to civil partners according to the Civil Partnership Act.