Health insurance

Since 2009 everybody who resides in Germany is required by law to carry health insurance: either health insurance from your home country that covers your stay in Germany, or a new policy here.
In Germany you will find two types of health insurance. Both statutory health insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) and private health insurance (Private Krankenversicherung) guarantee very good care. There are however differences concerning customer service, additional benefits and optional premiums.

Beihilfe/subsidy

As a professor with Beamtenstatus (public service employee), holding a private health insurance, a subsidy is covered by your employer. In Berlin these rates (Beihilfesatz) are:  

• 50% for yourself
• 80% for your child
• 70% for your spouse

The rest of the costs is covered by your private health insurance.

Furthermore you have the option to choose the voluntary statutory health insurance (Freiwillige Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) but only if you held a statutory health insurance in an EU-country before. Please note that there is no subsidy when holding a statutory health insurance.

Below you will find examples of each type of health insurance. Please note that we do not recommend or prefer any health insurance. This is just to give you an idea:

• Statutory health insurances:
  e.g. AOK, Techniker Krankenkasse, Barmer GEK.
  
  
• Private health insurances:
  e.g. Debeka, DKV, AXA.