Health insurance for freelancers
In the Federal Republic of Germany there has been April 2007 the obligation for everyone with domestic residence, i.e. also for freelancers, either with a private or statutory health insurance against the treatment costs associated with illness, accident or maternity assure. For all statutory and private health insurance companies there is an obligation to provide people in their Including insurance cover - in the case of private health insurers, at least in the respective basic tariff of relevant cash register. Nevertheless, there are still around 400,000 people in Germany who are not insured even today.
The possibilities of placing freelancers in a health insurance company
Freelance workers who work for companies are also fundamentally obliged to register with a company that is approved in the Federal Republic of Germany Health insurance to insure.
- However, since freelancers are self-employed, i.e. traders or freelancers who oppose Invoice are active for a client, this client is not for their registration with a health insurance company responsible. These employees themselves are responsible for this.
- In the insurance different possibilities come into consideration. There are statutory health insurances or private health insurances in which freelance workers can be insured.
Insurance in a statutory health insurance company
- Voluntary insurance in a statutory health insurance company is regulated in Section 9 of the Book V of the Social Code. Also with regard to freelancers, i.e. traders or freelancers, applies to the statutory Health insurance companies are obliged to accept the so-called general insurance according to § 193 III VVG Compulsory health insurance. If the freelance employee decides to become a so-called voluntary member of a statutory health insurance company, it must accept them.
- However, the freelancer is solely responsible for paying his membership fees for health and long-term care insurance, which depend on the level of his income (see Section 240 SGB V). Also for taking out insurance for daily sickness benefits.
- However, if his monthly income falls below a certain limit, usually € 400, the free can Let the employee check whether he has been included in the family insurance with his or her health insurance company by a family member can occur. In this case, he no longer has to pay health insurance contributions himself.
If you would like to take out voluntary health insurance with the IKK, you must ...
The alternative - private health insurance companies
- There is no possibility for the freelance employee to volunteer in a statutory health insurance company according to § 9 SGB V. To insure, he can apply as a trader or freelancer to be accepted by a private health insurance company. This is legally obliged to include it at least in the so-called basic tariff, which in terms of the catalog of services roughly corresponds to the basic services of a statutory health insurance company.
- The disadvantage for the freelance employee is that as a member of a private health insurers initially make an advance payment for every medical treatment got to.
- Likewise, the monthly fees increase with increasing age, so that the financial burden of membership fees is very high in old age.
- As a rule, there are three types of tariff available: the basic tariff, the standard tariff and the emergency tariff. The basic tariff of a private health insurance company is based on § 12 paragraph 1c VAG respective maximum contribution rates of the statutory health insurance plus an average Additional contribution.
Recommendations for freelancers
For freelancers, whether they are tradespeople or freelancers, it is generally advisable to seek voluntary membership in a statutory health insurance company. Private health insurance companies have a clear disadvantage for freelancers in terms of pre-financing treatment costs and increasing membership fees in old age.
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