Around 10% of German residents have private health insurance. You can only have private insurance if you are voluntarily insured (
Cost of private health insurance
The cost of private health insurance (private Krankenversicherung or PKV) depends on your age and your health. The older you get, the more expensive it gets. It will be cheaper than public health insurance when you are young, but much more expensive when you get old.
- It’s cheap when you are young: A healthy 25 years old man could pay as little as 175€ per month (350€ for freelancers) for private insurance. If you make a good salary, this is much cheaper than public insurance.
- It’s very expensive when you are old: When you get old, you could pay 1500€ per month for the same insurance! This is a lot of money if you are retired. Your income goes down, but your insurance keeps getting more expensive. This can easily bankrupt you. If you are over 45 years old, private insurance is rarely worth it. After 55 years old, it’s almost impossible to go back to public health insurance.
- It’s expensive if you have health problems: You must take a health test before you get private health insurance. If you have any health issues that need constant treatment, your insurance will be much more expensive. If you have pre-existing conditions, they will often refuse to cover you. This includes chronic diseases, psychotherapy or expensive medication, for example.
- You choose what you need: You can choose dental coverage, travel insurance, special treatment etc. If you choose more options, your insurance will be more expensive. If you choose fewer options, it can be very cheap.
- You pay less with a higher deductible: For example, if you have a 3000€/year deductible, you pay the first 3000€ in medical fees yourself, and your insurance pays everything after that. When you have a high deductible, you pay less in insurance every month. If you never go to the doctor, that’s a good way to save money.
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Who can have private health insurance?
Private health insurance is only an option if you are voluntarily insured (freiwillig versichert).
- If you are a freelancer, you can always choose private insurance. There is no minimum income.
- If you are an employee and earn more than 60.750€ per year (in 2019, before taxes), you can choose private health insurance.
- If you are an employee and earn less than 60.750€ per year (in 2019), you can’t be privately insured. You must have public health insurance. You can’t choose private health insurance.
- If you are a student, a doctor or a civil servant, you can choose private health insurance.
Read Also: Comparison of Health Insurance Options in Germany
Which private health insurance should I choose?
The difference between private health insurance companies is much bigger than for public ones. They offer much more options, and the best option depends on your situation.
- Allianz is a very well organised internally. This means that they handle claims efficiently and that they can offer slightly lower prices.
- Some insurance companies offer some special deals for certain professions.
- HanseMerkur is popular among expat freelancers.
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