Statutory health insurance: Quick change possible

 People with statutory health insurance can change their health insurance quickly and without much bureaucracy. You are then usually bound to the new cash register for a period of 12 months.

The essentials in brief:

• Switching between two statutory health insurance companies takes two to three months.
• The selected health insurance company may not refuse statutory health insurance based on age, gender or state of health.
• If the contributions of a statutory health insurance company increase, insured persons have a special right of termination.

Those with statutory health insurance are spoiled for choice. 105 statutory cash registers bustle about on the market (as of January 2021). Most health insurance benefits are the same for everyone. However, there are differences

• im Service,
• in voluntary additional services or
• in the price.

This can make it attractive for policyholders to switch health insurers.

Shorter commitment period

Previously, health insurance members were generally bound to their health insurance company for a period of 18 months. Only then was a regular change to another health insurance company possible. From 2021 the following applies : If you want to change your health insurance company without changing your insurance relationship, you can do so after 12 months.

Exceptions may apply when participating in certain optional tariffs. There may be different commitment periods in accordance with the articles of association.

The commitment period begins with membership in the new health insurance company. For example, if membership begins on April 1, 2021, the commitment period will be fulfilled on March 31, 2022.

Good to know: For members of a health insurance company who have not yet fulfilled the general commitment period of 18 months at the turn of the year 2020/2021, a transitional regulation applies: the 18-month commitment period is reduced to twelve months on December 31, 2020.

New health insurance right to choose when changing jobs

The commitment period no longer applies if you change employer.

If you change your employer as a person with statutory health insurance and take up a new job there that is subject to compulsory insurance, you can also choose a new health insurance company immediately.

Important : As a person with compulsory insurance, you can make this change up to a maximum of 14 days after the start of employment without observing the commitment period. If you are voluntarily insured in statutory health insurance, you can declare the change within three months of starting the new employment relationship.

This option not only applies when changing employers, but also when changing from one status subject to compulsory insurance to another, for example if you were previously subject to compulsory insurance as an employee and are now voluntarily insured by law at the end of the year because you exceeded the annual income limit (JAEG).

Without complying with a binding obligation, you also have the right to choose a health insurance fund if your voluntary membership in the current employment relationship ends and you become compulsorily insured again, for example because you have fallen below the annual income limit, or even if you take up employment again after being unemployed.

Good to know : Irrespective of the commitment period, you can switch health insurance companies by giving two months' notice at the end of the month if the additional contribution increases .

This is how changing health insurance works

On January 1, 2021, changing health insurance will be simplified for those with statutory health insurance. If you previously had to send your health insurance company a notice of termination, this step is no longer necessary.

If you now want to change your health insurance company, simply submit an application for admission to the selected health insurance company. The new health insurance company then takes care of the cancellation with the old health insurance company and the other formalities. The selected health insurance company informs the previous health insurance company via an electronic message about the new member's application for admission.

The previous health insurance company confirms the end of the membership electronically to the selected health insurance company immediately, but no later than within two weeks after receipt of the notification. The notice period of two months to the end of the month for continuous employment continues to apply.

You will no longer receive any cancellation confirmation from your previous health insurance company. After the feedback from the previous health insurance company, the selected health insurance company will inform you immediately about the completed change of health insurance company.

You only have to inform your employer informally about your membership in the new health insurance fund. The employer registers you with the new health insurance company using the employer registration procedure and then receives an electronic membership certificate for his employee. The paper certificate is completely eliminated.

Good to know : Family members do not have their own health insurance right to choose. They depend on the choice of family member through whom they are insured. This can be, for example, the spouse, a same-sex partner or a parent.

Changing health insurance during the transition period (January 1 to March 31, 2021)

In cases in which an insured person wants to change health insurance with the same insurance relationship as of January 1, February 1 or March 1, 2021, the electronic notification procedure cannot yet be used due to compliance with the notice period of two months at the end of the month between the health insurance companies come.

The following applies to this transitional period: In the event of a change during an unchanged insurance relationship, the previous health insurance company must issue a confirmation of cancellation for the newly selected health insurance company. This then creates a membership certificate, which must be presented to the body responsible for reporting (e.g. the employer). The office that is obliged to report creates a deregistration with the previous health insurance company and a registration with the newly selected health insurance company. The newly selected health insurance company sends an electronic membership certificate.

Important to know : As of January 1, 2021, insured persons only have to cancel their health insurance if they leave the statutory health insurance system, for example to switch to private health insurance or to move abroad permanently.

Different health insurance companies

In principle, you can choose between local, substitute, company and guild health insurance funds as well as the miners' association. However, you only get into the coffers of the guilds if they declare their willingness in their statutes to accept every insured person. No insurance fund may deny membership to those with statutory health insurance unless it is subject to regional or professional restrictions.

optional tariffs

The health insurance companies can offer special optional tariffs, such as deductible or premium reimbursement tariffs.

Attention : By choosing a voluntary optional tariff of the health insurance companies, you are bound to them for up to 3 years. People who are voluntarily insured by law and who take out the "sickness benefit" optional tariff also lose their special right of termination.

Services

Around 95 percent of the services - including medically justified visits to the doctor and hospital stays - have to be covered by all health insurance funds. They are legally obliged to do this. However, there may be differences in service (opening hours, accessibility) and additional services.

Before switching, patients should carefully compare the offers of different health insurance companies based on their personal wishes and needs. In a separate article we provide information about some additional services that insured persons can look out for when looking for the right insurance.

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