Private health insurance – advice on benefits and services

Private health insurance – It is well known that as a private patient you enjoy some advantages and, for example, do not have to wait in line for specialist appointments. The privileges through a private health insurance pay off, provided that you choose your insurance coverage wisely and based on your needs. Self-employed, freelancers, private individuals and anyone who is not covered by health insurance through their employer or a social agency can opt for private health insurance and benefit from the rate comparison. Generally, you have from a certain gross income per year to choose between statutory health insurance or private health insurance.

Benefits and services in private health insurance

While the statutory health insurance companies offer standard benefits, you have a whole range of advantages as a private patient. When taking out private health insurance, you can not only choose between different providers, but also between different tariffs. The amount of the premium depends on your profession and age, your state of health when you take out the insurance and the benefits you want. Even as a privately insured person, you can choose a basic tariff for private health insurance, which corresponds in its portfolio of benefits to the tariff of the statutory health insurance funds and is considered the cheapest tariff. We only recommend the basic cover in extreme emergencies, for example if you temporarily have less income and for this reason have to save on health insurance for a short period of time.

Private tariff: Date hedging

With a private tariff, you secure prompt appointments with a specialist, can individualise the level of cost coverage and, for example, choose chief physician treatment and a single room for hospital stays directly in the insurance contract. You can also choose 100 percent cost coverage for dental prostheses, so that you do not need supplementary health insurance and can receive all the benefits you want directly through your private health insurance.

Further important information on the subject of insurance

In the insurance industry, a distinction is made between compulsory, necessary and recommended insurance. Health insurance, like long-term care insurance, is one of the contracts that every German citizen is required to take out by law. If you finance a house, further insurances can be added, by which the bank and you are secured.

Supplementary health insurance – for whom is it worthwhile?

The benefits provided by statutory and private health insurance are continually decreasing. Some desired benefits, such as the single bed room and treatment by a chief physician in hospital, are not included in the standard tariff of a health insurance. Likewise, in the case of dental prostheses with implants, you have to pay for all services outside the cost coverage of the health insurance companies out of your own pocket and therefore have to reckon with high additional costs. With supplementary health insurance, you compensate for your own financial expenses and have the option of adapting your health insurance to your claim and your individual needs.

Statutory health insurance as a self-employed person and freelancer

As a worker and employee, you are automatically a member of a statutory health insurance fund. The registration and payment of the monthly premiums is done by your employer. But also in self-employment or freelance work you can register in a statutory health insurance and benefit as a voluntary member of the benefits of health insurance. Since there are different statutory health insurance companies, a comparison can also be worthwhile in this case and serve as a basis for you not to necessarily remain in the health insurance chosen by your employer or your local health insurance. In general, the statutory health insurance funds do very well even with voluntary membership.

Health – Advice on insurance

Since 2009, there is a mandatory health and long-term care insurance in Germany prescribed by law. Exceptions are excluded, so that you must also have health insurance as a self-employed person, freelancer and low-income earner. If you are employed subject to compulsory insurance, you are automatically covered by health insurance through your employer and do not have to take care of your basic health protection on your own. The situation is different if you do not have a job that is subject to compulsory insurance and in this case you have to take care of your health insurance yourself.

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