Employees with High Income
Statutory or private health insurance?
If you come to Germany as an employee with an income above 5775.00 euros per month,you can choose between statutory or private health insurance. For employees with high income, joining statutory health insurance is only possible when you take up employment for the first time in Germany.
Statutory Health Insurance
Statutory health insurance in Germany offers a very high level of medical treatment. Around 74.4
people are insured through statutory health insurance in Germany. Contributions are calculated according to the solidarity principle: Those who earn more pay more, and those who earn less pay less.
Contributions are calculated as a percentage of gross salary, capped at 4987.50 euros per month. Employees with high incomes thus contribute around 900 euros per month, including long-term care insurance. Half of this is paid by the employer. The good news is that spouses and children without their own income are covered free of charge.
Not every aspect of statutory health insurance always functions smoothly: Those with statutory health insurance often have to wait a long time for appointments with specialist. The free choice of doctor is also limited. There are gaps in coverage at the dentist and at the hospital which many people take out private supplementary insurance to help cover.
Private health insurance
With private health insurance, you are insured against risks. And the younger and healthier you are, the cheaper it is. If you have a severe pre-existing condition, you don’t need to read further because private health insurance becomes unaffordable. Those who are healthy and younger than 45 can consider private health insurance.
The list below shows the approximate cost of private health insurance. The employer pays half of the contributions for employees up to a maximum of [TextbausteinId=HoechsterArbeitgeberanteilPKV] euros. The price ranges mentioned here are calculated for a healthy 35-year-old.
- Good: 350 to 550 euros: 350 bis 550 Euro
- Comfort: 450 to 700 euros
- Premium: 550 to 900 euros
Private health insurance offers a free choice of doctors and hospitals, and the best medical treatment. Hospitals and doctors receive higher fees for privately insured patients than for statutorily insured patients. For this reason, privately insured patients usually receive appointments with specialists or at a hospital immediately. In Germany, around [TextbausteinId=GesamtPKVVersicherte] people are privately insured.
Statutory or private health insurance?
If you are single, young, and healthy, you will pay less for better service with private health insurance. This can change as you get older and with changes to your marital status. With private health insurance, each family member needs a separate contract, while with statutory health insurance, they can be covered for free under certain conditions. In addition, the contributions with statutory health insurance decrease with decreasing income. Private health insurance should therefore only be taken out by those who can count on a high income in the long term.