Everyone has to take out health insurance

the essentials in brief

• In Germany, everyone has the duty to join a health insurance.
• Employees whose gross pay does not exceed the current annual pay limit are compulsorily insured in the statutory health insurance.
• Once you are in the statutory health insurance, you never have to leave.

So go ahead

• If you belong to the group of people who are not compulsorily insured, you must voluntarily insure yourself legally or privately.
• Check which system is best for you. You can find a decision support in our guide Legal or private health insurance?.
• You can freely choose your health insurance. Compare therefore the achievements, in order to find for itself the suitable cash register. 

In Germany everyone must have health insurance. Depending on which conditions you meet, you are compulsorily insured by a statutory health insurance, you must voluntarily insure yourself by law or you choose a private health insurance. Members of a statutory health insurance can insure their children and spouses or partners in a registered partnership free of charge. Despite the obligation to insure, there are people who continue to have no health insurance.

For whom does the compulsory insurance in the statutory health insurance fund apply?

Compulsory insurance in the statutory health insurance are basically all employees whose gross earnings do not exceed the currently applicable annual income limit (compulsory insurance limit). For the year 2019 this is 60,750 euros or 5063 euros per month. In addition to the current monthly gross income, these include regular annual payments such as holiday or Christmas bonuses.

Everyone can freely choose which statutory health insurance company he will become a member of. Since the health insurance companies differ in the contribution and in small parts of their performance, a comparison is worthwhile.