Learn more about the TK eHealth card while watching the video. The TK eHealth card is your identification card when you visit a doctor. It makes it easier for you to utilise medical services in Germany and abroad. Simply present the handy chip card when you receive medical treatment by doctors, in hospitals or by approved therapists.
Make sure to check out the other videos from the TK YouTube Channel - they are really helpful.
Working as a student
Many students will need to supplement their grants and savings with employment income during their time in Germany
And there are plenty of posts available, from catering work to childcare. But before they take any positions, students need to be aware of how doing so can affect their health insurance situation.
As a rule, EU students will be allowed to work for 20 hours a week throughout their studies. Those from outside the EU can also work, and have a quota of either 120 full days or 240 half days every year.
Students can earn up to €520 per month tax-free, but over that point income tax will be applied. If you breach the working days quota, you will also be forced to pay German social security contributions, and your student status can also be removed.
I work alongside my studies. How does this affect my TK health insurance?
As long as you remain under the working days or hours threshold, your health insurance premiums with TK will be limited as German law requires. However, if you breach the guidelines, the price of healthcare (and living costs in general) can rise immediately.
However, don't let this dissuade you from working your way through university or language courses. Most foreign students in Germany choose to take part-time work or internships, without harming their subsidized health insurance situation.
For more information, be sure to read Expatrio guide to working as a student. It should provide the background you need to earn and study without complications.
TK for PhD Students
While undergraduates are covered by BAföG and other subsidies, the situation is slightly different for doctoral candidates
In Germany, PhD students cannot receive state subsidies during their studies. However, this doesn't mean that your healthcare costs need to spiral. Instead, most PhD candidates opt for health insurance with providers like TK, which cost relatively little and suit their lifestyles.
If you do join academic research teams during your doctoral studies, this may change your health insurance status. Because your income will be under the limit for switching to private insurance, your employer will probably switch you to a state-managed scheme. In this case, your premiums will reflect the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze.
Student Status at TK Health Insurance
How long can I keep my student status with my TK health insurance?
If you have taken out a student health insurance plan with TK, this policy cannot usually be extended beyond your 30th birthday. At that point, the subsidies provided to students will run out, and you will need to take out TK's private health insurance policies for the over 30s.
This isn't always a bad thing from a financial standpoint. Students receive generous discounts, but insurers like TK also take the youth, fitness, and low risk of PhD students into account when calculating premiums. This should keep your payments within reasonable limits.
Catalog of TK Benefits
At its heart, TK is dedicated to providing comprehensive healthcare insurance packages, and it offers products for a range of situations
Whether customers are students seeking medium-term coverage under state subsidies, or a head of household who wants to ensure that their dependents are covered, TK is a go-to insurer. It's also an insurer with several unique features that will appeal to new arrivals in Germany. For instance, TK offers:
TK-Appointment Service
The TK-Appointment Service will arrange doctors' appointments for policyholders whenever they need to see a medical expert. For no extra fee, TK will take care of bookings, making life easier for people who aren't fluent in German.
Travel Vaccinations
Foreign visitors will appreciate the inclusion of travel vaccinations in TK's packages. If you want to travel to tropical destinations, TK will pay for malaria or hepatitis vaccinations (although there may be a small supplementary fee for the vaccine itself).
Homeopathy and alternative medicine
If you prefer to rely on natural remedies and alternative therapies, TK is a good insurer to use. TK will happily refer members to homeopathic practitioners in their region, and will cover the first 60 minutes of consultations.
TK App and Online Services
German private health insurers have embraced the smartphone revolution, meaning that virtually everything required to take out a student health insurance policy can be carried out online
The TK App is a great example. Available for Android and iOS phones, the app lets you submit paperwork, download the insurance certificate required by universities, and access special fitness apps for policyholders.
The app links to the TK Bonus program, which lets policyholders accumulate points for healthy activities like running, quitting smoking, and attending dental check-ups. These points can then be cashed in for Euros, or exchanged for discounted premiums.
