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Private health insurance for professions

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

Different professions have different requirements for taking out private heath insurance in Germany. Here is an overview:

Self-empoyed and freelancers Self-employed and freelancers can choose between statutory and private health insurance. Once the decision for private insurance has been made, it is irrevocable. The decision can only be reversed by changing to a salaried employment relationship. Self-employed persons and freelancers bear the costs for their health insurance completely...

German bureaucracy dampens vaccine roll out

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

With regards to the Covid-19 vaccine, both the EU and the German government have insisted there will be a sufficient number of vaccines made available in Germany. However, delays in signing supply contracts mean that it will arrive later than hoped and there might not actually be enough to go round. This unexpected outcome, mirrors a deeper systemic failing in the EU and Germany. The US will provide vaccines to 20 million Americans in the next two to three weeks alone. The UK started...

Are vastly more people dying in Germany because of the pandemic?

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

Tuberculosis was considered the world's most deadliest infectious disease in 2019. According to the World Health Organization, ten million people worldwide were infected with tuberculosis, and about 1.4 million of them died. The WHO currently (as of December 18th) reports more than 72 million Covid-19 cases and more than 1.6 million Covid-19-related deaths, making Corona the world's deadliest infectious disease in 2020. But how deadly is Corona in Germany and is this pandemic exaggerated? It...

First Covid-19 vaccinations begin on Dec 27th

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

Christian Bernreiter (CSU), district administrator of the Lower Bavarian district of Deggendorf, has stated, "We start on December 27th, Sunday morning" (regarding implementing the first round of vaccinations). The institutions in question were asked only a matter of days ago to inform the district office by Christmas Eve at the latest"who is actually willing to vaccinate in the homes". They should also prepare the relevant documentation - such as the care notes. "On December 27th, we will have...

German private health insurance threshold for 2021

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

Private health insurance (PKV - Privaten Krankenversicherung) companies had a tough 2020 due to the consequences of the Corona pandemic. A knock-on effect is the yearly minimum salary limit to qualify for private health insurance in Germany in 2021, has now been set at 64,350 EUR (before tax). This is a large increase from the limit for '20 which was set to 62,550 EUR. In monthly terms, this is an increase in the minimum threshold from 5,212.50 EUR to 5,362.50 EUR. This means that employees must...

How will covid vaccinations be rolled out in Germany

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

When will a vaccine be available in Germany and how will its distribution work? The first vaccine could be available by the end of December. The EU already has contracts with six vaccine manufacturers. From these companies, according to a Handelsblatt report, Germany has secured vaccine doses for a total of 170 million people. The German government expects the first vaccines to be approved at the end of the year or in early 2021. The first promising candidate is considered to be BNT162b2, the...

Doctor and CSU member criticizes Söder's lockdown

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

A dispute has broken out in the CSU over Söder's attempts to combat the corona pandemic. Hans Theiss, professor and medical doctor at the LMU Clinic in Großhadern, as well as deputy faction leader and health policy spokesman for the CSU in the city hall, has sharply attacked Prime Minister Markus Söder in an open letter on Facebook. "I have so far kept silent out of party loyalty, but what is too much is too much", claims Herr Theiss. "Covid is worse than 'the usual flu',every single death...

Christmas Corona Lockdown in Bavaria

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

The Bavarian state government has again decided on stricter rules for Bavaria than for the rest of Germany. General restrictions are to apply from Wednesday, as Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) defied those within his own party. The place of residence for citizens, may then only be left "for valid reasons"; for example for work, visits to the doctor, school, shopping, sports, church services or visits to another household (if the contact restrictions are observed). In regions with a...

Period products free for women in Scotland

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

In a bizarre and unashamedly sexist move, the Scottish parliament decided to further increase the rapidly exaggerated levels of female privilege, by legislating for free period products for women. Universities, schools and colleges will have to provide these sanitary products at their own expense, under threat of legal action. Local authorities will police this matter and enforce it if necessary. Additionally, the government will roll out further services to make these products accessible to...

Corona brings health insurance companies to their financial limits

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

The costs of the corona crisis are a burden on health insurance companies. The Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance company warns against a drastic increase in additional contributions to the statutory health insurance schemes and calls for the state to take countermeasures. Private health insurers are also likely to become more expensive. The head of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), Jens Baas, warns of rising additional contributions to the statutory health insurance funds. "Next year, the...

We need a common sense approach to this pandemic

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

The millennium's first global pandemic, Covid-19, swept from country to country leaving chaos in its wake. Now, as the second wave ominously bears down upon us, we need to bravely address the economic consequences of over-caution and indecision, in addition to the more obvious health-related effects. Identifying common sense routes to a more sustainable and healthy response than that employed for the first wave, is our only realistic option. To do otherwise, would offer nothing more than a...

RKI optimistic despite high number of new infections

May 10, 2026 • 05:45 PM

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is "cautiously optimistic" due to an apparent slowdown in  the growth of infected patients. This hints that the virus can still be controlled. RKI raises the concern that people will have to live with measures such as face masks, social-distancing and regular ventilation for some time to come, as well as forced- and self-quarantining. They state that even if the vaccine research materialises into a working solution, it will take time until a...

German PKV Insurance

German Private Health Insurance

Both private Health Insurance in Germany and public insurance, is often complicated to navigate, not to mention expensive. As an expat, you are required to navigate this landscape within weeks of arriving, so check our FAQ on PKV. For our guide on resources and access to agents who can give you a competitive quote, try our PKV Cost comparison tool.

Hospitals

Hospital and Clinic Directory

Germany is famous for its medical expertise and extensive number of hospitals and clinics. See this comprehensive directory of hospitals and clinics across the country, complete with links to their websites, addresses, contact info, and specializations/services.

Events

Upcoming Events

Echtzeitalter

Join us for the premiere of Echtzeitalter, a captivating theater production based on the novel by Tonio Schachinger. The story follows Till, a new student at a prestigious gymnasium, who grapples with the outdated teaching methods of his strict teacher, Dolinar. As Till navigates his elite...

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