Costs of Private health insurance in Germany
Only certain individuals in Germany are eligible for choosing private healthcare over public healthcare
This includes those earning over €60,750, freelancers, those earning under €450 and students over 30.
The cost of private health insurance (PKV, Private Krankenversicherung) in Germany is not regulated in the same way as the cost of public healthcare and can therefore vary hugely in price. Private premiums are set by the ‘risk’ of the patient, which means those with chronic conditions and older people will generally pay more for private insurance. Find a holistic comparison of private health insurance pros and cons here.
Young people on high incomes will certainly make savings by choosing private over public. A young, healthy person can pay as little as €175 a month, which can be far less than public healthcare for those on high salaries. However, high-risk patients may have to pay private health premiums as high as €1,500 per month.
Most private healthcare providers offer savings on monthly premiums if you choose high deductibles. This may mean that you have to pay the first few thousand Euros for treatment, should the worst happen, but your monthly rate is quite low. Only choose this option if you have that amount of money in savings should you need it and you are generally in good health.
You can find out more about private health insurance on our Health Insurance in Germany page.