Category: Health & Insurance

For the last few decades, Germans have been worried about declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy and the obvious demographical problems caused by these two trends.

Should you need to go to hospital during your time here, your doctor will arrange a bed for you and find a specialist on that hospital staff to attend to your problem.

Almost any medicine you need you’ll find at your friendly local pharmacy (Apotheke).

Dental care in Germany is excellent and there is a high standard of dentistry here. But dental work can also be expensive.

Very soon after becoming enrolled in a health care plan, you will receive a plastic card with a microchip, which resembles a credit card.

Should you fall ill while in Germany, your employer will usually pay six weeks’ full salary; after that, the government scheme health insurer (Krankenkasse) pays a percentage of your income, up to approximately 2.887,50 per month as statutory sick pay (Krankengeld) for up to 78 weeks.

If your gross monthly salary is higher than 4,575 euro, you can choose to enroll in a private health insurance program.

Public health insurance in Germany is based on the principle of solidarity, which means that everyone’s premiums are based on the same percentage of income.