Private health insurance for families

Yes, as long as at least one parent is eligible. As an employee, you're eligible if you earn at least €77,400 a year (2026). From 2027, this is set to rise to around €84,000. As a freelancer or self-employed parent, you're eligible if you earn more than €36,000 a year if you are under 51 years old, €51,000 if you're 51 or older, or €25,000/year if you have lived in Germany for at least 12 months.

Once you're insured, you can add your partner and children if they meet both of these conditions:

• Their monthly income is less than €603
• They have no significant pre-existing health conditions

Each family member's health is checked when they join.

Yes. Your children aren't covered automatically, but you can add them to your plan for a monthly cost based on their age and health. When you apply, tell us you'd like to cover your family and we’ll take it from there. Everyone is then managed from the same Feather account.

Yes. If you register your baby within two months of the birth, they can join your plan without a health check or waiting periods, as long as you've been insured with us for at least three months. Your baby's cover can be the same as yours or lower. Just add them in your Feather account.

Yes. Your spouse or partner can join your plan for a monthly cost based on their age and health, if they meet the following two conditions:

• Their monthly income is less than €603
• They have no significant pre-existing health conditions

If they're employed, they'll need to meet the eligibility rules for private insurance themselves.

With private insurance, each family member pays their own premium, based on their age and health when they sign up. Public insurance costs about 19% of your income (from €180 to €980 a month), and your employer pays half if you're employed. Public insurance also covers children and non-earning spouses for free. So for larger families, compare the total cost carefully.

It depends on your partner. If your partner is publicly insured and earns more than you, your children can usually stay on their free public family insurance. If you're the higher earner and above the income threshold, your children usually need their own insurance, private or public. We'll help you work out what makes sense for your family.

No, your premiums don't go up because you, your partner or your children get older. Costs only change with general healthcare inflation, which has averaged 2.8% a year for private insurance, compared to 3.4% for public insurance (2005–2025).

Yes. Most doctors, including pediatricians, reserve appointments for privately insured patients, so the whole family benefits from shorter waiting times.

The doctor or pharmacy gives you an invoice to pay upfront, usually within 14–30 days. You can then easily submit your claim via app and will be reimbursed in 2-4 weeks. Hospital stays, for example for childbirth, are usually billed directly, so you don't have to pay upfront.

Usually not, if each family member had comprehensive health insurance for the 12 months before signing up. If not, or if someone has certain ongoing health conditions, a medical and dental check-up may be needed. We'll set it up and reimburse up to €195 per exam per person. Newborns added within two months of birth don't need a health check.

You can use our short guide. There's usually a cancellation period of two months plus the current month. If a salary raise takes you over €77,400, your private insurance can only start on 1 January of the next year. Your partner's and children's public insurance can end at the same time as yours, so the whole family switches together.

It's possible if you're under 55 and become an employee earning below the income threshold (€77,400 in 2026). Sometimes becoming unemployed allows it too. Otherwise, private health insurance is a long-term decision, so it's worth thinking about your family's plans before you switch.

Usually you'd switch back to public insurance, and your family could then join your public family insurance. If you've been privately insured for 5 years before becoming unemployed, we can check whether you can stay on your private plan.

You can cancel through your account by submitting your de-registration (Abmeldung) and proof that you're leaving permanently, such as a new employment contract or proof of residence abroad. Taking your insurance with you may be possible and is checked case by case.

Yes. If you're employed, your employer contributes to your health insurance costs. You can read more on this topic here.