Employees
Your employer. In most cases, your employer will deduct your share directly from your salary and then transfer the total amount directly to Barmer.
It’s easy. We organize it for you. When you join Barmer, we will apply for your Social Security Number (Sozialversicherungsausweis) and send it to your postal address. So you don’t have to do anything.
Students
For students in Germany, it’s not possible to get public health insurance alone – long-term care insurance is mandatory as well, and both contributions are combined. All students pay the same reduced rate for these insurances.
Students are required to pay a monthly contribution of €128.38 (under the age of 23) or €133.25 (from the age of 23). Students with children receive a reduction on their long-term care contribution rate of 0.25% per child (from two to five children under the age of 25).
Health insurance: | Long-term care insurance: | Additional individual contribution rate |
---|---|---|
€82.99 | €27.61* respectively €32.48** | €17,78 |
Via direct debit each month. In most cases, Barmer books the contributions directly from your bank account. The payment is always due on the 15th of the following month. For example, your contributions for October will be debited from your bank account on the 15th of November. You’ll need to give Barmer the authorization to debit the contributions from your account with a signed SEPA direct debit mandate.
Yes. As a student, you can work alongside your studies – but there are various restrictions. The underlying rule is that your main occupation remains that of a student.
Students from the EU/EEA can be employed alongside their studies – as either a “working student” (Werkstudent) or in a so-called “Mini-Job”. Working students can generally work up to 20 hours a week on average. It’s possible to work more than 20 hours a week during weekends and study breaks, but only for a maximum of 26 weeks per year. It doesn’t matter how much money you earn as a working student, as long as the time restrictions are maintained. If your work time exceeds these limits, your main occupation is no longer a student – and you’ll be insured as an employee.
When you start working alongside your studies, you’ll need to take out mandatory student health insurance with a German health insurance provider like Barmer. As soon as you plan to start your job, please contact us so that we can provide you with all the necessary documents.
Non-EU/EEA students can be employed alongside their studies – as either a “working student” (Werkstudent) or in a so-called “Mini-Job” – if the residence permit allows for this. When you apply for a residence permit, speak with the immigration authorities about working alongside your studies so you know exactly what work permits and time restrictions apply to you.
Self-employed persons
The amount of health insurance contributions for self-employed persons depends on the contribution rate, the amount of income generated and whether there’s an entitlement to sick pay. The health insurance contribution rates for self-employed persons insured with Barmer are currently:
- 14.6% (statutory contribution rate*) + 2.19% (additional contribution rate) = 16.79%
- 14.0% (reduced contribution rate**) + 2,19% (additional contribution rate) = 16.19%
In 2024, health insurance contributions for self-employed members are calculated from a minimum income of 1.178,33 euro and a maximum income of 5.175,00 euro per month. Any income you earn above this maximum income amount is no longer subject to contributions.
In Germany, self-employed persons who are insured with public health insurance are also required to contribute to long-term care insurance.
Families
Yes, many. With Barmer, you have a strong and reliable partner at your side – especially when it comes to pregnancy and families. Soon-to-be families receive a wide range of benefits, such as:
- 200 euro budget for additional healthcare services or medication with the Family Plus Package
- Free midwife advisory service via telephone or chat
- Midwife on-call service
- Co-payment exemption for medication, medical aids and physical therapies
- Free birth preparation course for pregnant women
- Up to 10 reconstructive gymnastics sessions after the birth
- The Pelivina app for pelvic floor muscle exercises at home
You can also speak or chat with qualified midwives via Barmer’s free midwife advisory service. Please contact us for more information on how to access this service.
With the Barmer Child and Youth Program (Kinder- und Jugend-Programm), your family is in safe hands with additional services such as PädExpert® and Paed.Check®.
With PädExpert®, both you and your pediatrician can obtain direct specialist tele-medical advice on chronic or rare diseases, including treatment processes for diagnosis, therapies or progress assessment.
Paed.Check® are regular preventive medical and psychosocial checkups tailored to the specific age and developmental stages of children. These specialist checkups help to identify a wide range of extraordinary health or developmental deficiencies in advance and ensure targeted countermeasures are taken.
Participation in the Child and Youth Program is easy. Simply contact our English Service Hotline and request the contact details of a participating pediatrician in your area.