Everyone can decide for themselves which health insurance fund they would like to be insured with, or which health insurance fund makes the most sense for them. If you want to change your health insurance company, you should consider a few questions beforehand.

 

Why change at all? Just because you have the freedom does not mean that changing your current health insurance fund makes sense in individual cases. Switching to another health insurance company is worthwhile if you are not satisfied with the services provided by your health insurance company or if another health insurance company offers more programmes for your individual case. There are also health insurance companies that pay for homeopathic therapies or certain preventive examinations.

What is the difference between the statutory health insurance funds? The benefits of the statutory health insurance funds are 95% prescribed by law, i.e. they are the same for all statutory health insurance funds. The statutory health insurance funds differ in additional benefits, bonus programmes or individual design options. These include, for example, back school, diet courses or household support.

Is the health insurance fund financially stable? Since 1990, the number of statutory health insurance funds has shrunk from about 1200 to 150. Before switching to a new fund, you should try to find out more about the current financial situation of the health insurance fund. Since health insurance funds are not obliged to publish their financial situation, it is unfortunately difficult to assess the economic situation of individual funds. However, the additional contributions of the health insurance funds give a clue. A financially unstable fund depends on the income from the additional contributions, because they cannot cover their costs through the flat rate alone. Monthly additional contributions can be demanded if the basic flat rate is not sufficient. Funds that do not operate in the negative can repay contributions to members.

When can you cancel? You usually have to be insured with a health insurance fund for at least 18 months before you can cancel. After that, the notice period is two months to the end of the month. Extraordinary termination is possible if the health insurance fund demands additional contributions. You can give notice at the time when the amount is due for the first time. However, since the insurance funds often only give one month's notice, you have to act quickly. You do not have to pay the additional contribution during the two-month notice period.
An informal letter of termination is sufficient. You will receive a confirmation within two weeks, which you must forward to the new health insurance fund. The new health insurance fund must confirm the acceptance to the previous insurer. Only then is the membership considered terminated.

What if the health insurance fund goes bankrupt? If the health insurance fund files for insolvency, the insured person can choose a new health insurance fund up to two weeks after the closure or is assigned a new health insurance fund by the employer or pension insurance fund. A statutory health insurance fund is obliged to accept members from insolvent health insurance funds regardless of their health history.

Does it make sense to switch to a private health insurance fund? Before you switch to a private health insurance fund, you should think about it carefully, because it is difficult to go back. Age, marital status, income and future plans are important decision-making criteria. In contrast to statutory health insurance funds, private insurance premiums are not dependent on income. So you have to consider whether you can bear the costs in the long term.

Should one switch in the case of discount contracts? Health insurance companies can conclude discount contracts with certain drug manufacturers. For the insured person, this means that he or she will only receive medicines from a certain manufacturer who gives his or her health insurance company a discount. The health insurers want to reduce their costs in this way. Unfortunately, not all drug manufacturers are reliable, so it often happens that a patient has to be switched to a different drug several times during treatment.
Before changing health insurers, one should find out with which drug manufacturers other insurers have concluded contracts. This can usually be found on the respective health insurance website.

Where can an insured person get independent information? There are numerous tests on the internet, but not all of them are free of charge. The magazine "Finanztest" regularly compares health insurance companies.
Information about additional benefits must be obtained from the health insurance funds themselves.
Anyone who wants independent advice can get this from the UPD (Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland) by calling 0800/ 0117722.