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THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN GERMANY.
Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. Get more information about this topic!
Every individual with a place of residence in Germany must have health insurance. There are very few exceptions which apply only to certain professions and sections of the population.
Germany also has a so-called dual system of both statutory and private health insurance. Each type has its advantages and drawbacks. There are also certain regulations as to who is entitled to which type of insurance.
Health insurance in Germany, in particular statutory health insurance, is based on the concept of the welfare state. According to this, everybody pays into the system and those who require benefits due to illness or accident are provided with support. Not everyone will use up the full amount they have paid in over the course of their life, but everyone helps finance those who are in greater need.
STATUTORY HEALTH INSURANCE.
Most people in Germany have statutory health insurance. Here, the insurance contributions are based on individual income. The higher the person’s earnings, the more they pay. However, those who earn less or nothing at all are also well insured.
Contribution rates for the year 2024.
- General contribution rate including supplement: 15.5 %
- Reduced general contribution rate including supplement: 14.9 % (for members not entitled to sickness benefit)
- The basic contribution rate for long-term care insurance will increase to 3.4%.
- For insured persons over the age of 23 and without children, the contribution rate rises to 4.0%.
- In general, the contribution rate is differentiated according to the number of children. Insured persons with two or more children will have their contributions reduced. For each child under the age of 25, a deduction of 0.25 % is made from the basic contribution rate. This reduction is limited to 5 children.
- Old-age pension insurance: 18.6 %
- Unemployment insurance: 2.6 %
Your employer transfers the entire amount to be paid for social insurance directly to us, including the employer contribution. BMW BKK then forwards the various amounts as appropriate.
Contribution assessment ceilings for 2024 per month and year.
- Health insurance: 5.175 Euro / 62.100 Euro
- Old-age pension and unemployment insurance, West: 7.550 Euro / 90.600 Euro
- Old-age pension and unemployment insurance, East: 7.450 Euro / 89.400 Euro
- Reference figure, West: 3.535 Euro / 42.420 Euro
- Reference figure, East: 3.465 Euro / 41.580 Euro
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE.
Under a private health insurance scheme, contributions are based on the individual’s age and state of health. The older you are and the more previous illnesses you have, the higher the contribution. Occupational groups such as civil servants, the self-employed and high-earners with a gross income of over 64.350,00 Euro for more than a year can generally take out private health insurance.
It is important to consider very carefully whether or not to take out private health insurance because generally speaking it is irrevocable. Once you have private health insurance, it is permanent.
The terms and conditions of a private health insurance scheme will tend to be more favourable at the beginning and become less economical with increasing age. Private health insurance is generally particularly expensive if you wish to include family members or start a family. There are also considerable differences in the benefits available depending on the scheme you choose.
The most important thing is to be sure you obtain detailed information before switching to private health insurance. BMW BKK offers expert and individualised consultation on this issue. Our experienced staff will be happy to get together with you and compare details, look at the advantages and drawbacks of statutory and private health insurance and consider the benefits and risks.
VOLUNTARY INSURANCE WITH BMW BKK.
If your annual income exceeds the limit of 69.300 Euro (2024) you are voluntarily insured with BMW BKK.
The difference between this and mandatory insurance is that the monthly health and nursing care insurance contributions remain the same (on a yearly basis). And you don’t pay any extra contributions for one-off payments such as vacation allowances or Christmas bonuses.
What data is currently saved on the eGK?
The eGK currently only has administrative data such as your name, date of birth, address and health insurance number.
What are the advantages of the healthcare card?
The card bears a photograph which shows you to be the holder – a quick and clear means of identification.
An online match is also carried out between the policyholder data saved on the eGK and the current data held by BMW BKK. This means that any changes such as a new address can be added to the eGK the next time the card-holder goes to the doctor.
So you do not require a new eGK in this event, and any card this is invalid, lost or stolen can be cancelled. This further reduces misuse.Data privacy: top priority is attached to protecting your personal details.
Nobody can access the confidential data saved on your healthcare card without your consent. Access is only possible with your PIN code in conjunction with the healthcare profession ID only issued to healthcare professionals.
You can also use your PIN Code to both add and delete data. What is more, certain information can be hidden or only made accessible to certain doctors. You can of course view your data yourself at any time.How am I protected from data misuse?
In addition to the rigorous data privacy requirements, all access is logged. The last 50 accesses to the policyholder’s data are saved. This means that every access is documented and can be subject to criminal prosecution if necessary. The very latest encryption techniques are used for the eGK. This prevents unauthorised persons from accessing your healthcare information.
What happens if I lose the card?
If someone finds the card, they will not be able to access the policyholder’s details. What is more the photo clearly shows who the holder is, thereby preventing misuse. As soon as the policyholder reports loss of the card to BMW BKK, we provide a new one within a short time.