Switch to Private Health Insurance: Save Money, Get Better Care

Private health insurance needs upfront payments but covers more (like dental and vision). It's also cheaper, but harder to qualify for.

With public health insurance, you just need to show your insurance card for services. It covers less, costs more, but is easier to get.

Public health insurance is always combined with care insurance. Together, they cost about 19% of your income. It starts at 180€ and is capped at 980€. If you’re employed in Germany, your employer pays half of that. Private health insurance is also combined with care insurance, but the monthly cost is solely based on your age and health at the time you sign up. You can get a detailed quote here.

As an employee, you’re eligible if your annual salary is at least €73,800.

As a freelancer, self-employed person, or person living off your investments, you’re eligible if you earn more than €30,000 (for those below 51 years old) or more than €45,000 (for those 51 or above). If you’re retired, your income must be over €60,000 per year.

Private insurance is a particularly good option if you're an expat freelancer who just moved to Germany from a non-EU country because public insurers usually won’t cover you.

These employment types are all considered “voluntarily insured” (German: freiwillig versichert) and allow you to choose between public and private.

Note that your health will also play a role in your eligibility.

You'll then remain in the public health system like nothing has ever happened. There are no side effects.

Switching back is possible if you’re under 55 and you become an employee with an income below €73,800. Sometimes, being unemployed allows you to switch as well. Otherwise, joining private health insurance is a permanent decision.

The doctor or pharmacy will give you an invoice that needs to be paid upfront within 14-30 days. After you’ve paid, you can simply submit the invoice and any related documents via your Feather account. We’ll reimburse you within 1-3 weeks. Hospital stays are usually billed directly; you don’t have to pay upfront. If you still receive a hospital bill, for example for additional services like a private room, simply submit it and we’ll take care of it. For more expensive medical aids like a wheelchair, hearing aids, or similar medical devices, we’ll help you find the best product, and you don’t need to pay upfront.

You can cancel your insurance through your account. Simply submit your de-registration (Abmeldung), along with confirmation that you’re leaving permanently. This could be in the form of a new employment contract or proof of residency in your new location.

Taking your insurance to another country may be possible, but this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and could mean a price increase.

You can use our short guide!

There is typically a cancellation period of 2 months plus the ongoing month, except in the situations mentioned below.

If you got a salary raise that pushed you over €69,300, your private insurance can only start on January 1st of next year. If you became self-employed less than 2 months ago, you can cancel your public insurance immediately. Your private health insurance would start on the first day of your new self-employment, and the public health insurance would have to pay back your contributions for this time.

Your private insurance plan does not automatically cover your dependents. Your spouse, children or parents can be covered for a monthly cost that is based on their age and health. When you apply for private insurance with Feather, mention that you’d like to cover your family and we will check if they are eligible.

It does not. Your contribution will not change due to aging. The only time public or private insurance costs change is due to an overall increase in healthcare costs. Historically, the costs have increased 2% per year.

Usually, you have to switch back to public insurance. If you have been with private insurance for 5 years prior to your unemployment, we can check individually whether you are eligible to stay on your private plan.

They are usually not required if you had comprehensive health insurance 12 months prior to signing up. If you had no comprehensive coverage, or you have certain ongoing health conditions, a medical and dental check-up is needed. We’ll set them up for you and even reimburse up to €195 for the exams!

There are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Each family member you want to cover comes at an additional price.

2. In some cases, existing health conditions may lead to exclusions of coverage or surcharges. In this case, our team will provide a custom-made price after you apply.

3. Switching back to public health insurance is only possible if you are employed, you earn less than €69300, and you are under 55 years old.

4. Medical bills must be paid out of pocket.

You get reimbursed within 1-3 weeks after submitting your bill to your Feather account. Hospital bills are usually handled directly without your involvement.