Cashback From German Health Insurance

Key Takeaways

Cashback is a benefit you can receive if you use your health insurance on a limited basis or pay medical bills yourself.
Cashback from public health insurance is offered in two different ways: First, there are health points and second, you can get money.
Cashback from private health insurance can be much higher than cashback from public health insurance.
The highest cashback in Germany is 45% of the monthly premiums. It is from a private health insurance.

Introduction: What exactly is health insurance Cashback?

The German health insurance system is divided into two groups: On the one hand, there is public health insurance and on the other hand, private health insurance. In Germany, most people are forced to pay for public health insurance. This system is based on solidarity and gives all contributors nearly the same insurance coverage. In the other system, private health insurance, are only authorized employees who earn more than 66.600€ gross in 2023, self-employed, freelancers, business owners, civil servants, and students. Private health insurance is not about solidarity, but about the best possible insurance coverage for oneself.

Depending on how you are insured, there are three different types of cashback. Two of them are for public health insurance and one for private health insurance. These are as follows:

Health points for public health insurance.
Cashback for public health insurance.
Cashback for private health insurance

In order to receive your health insurance cashback (public or private) you need to pay for medical bills yourself instead of sending them to your health insurance company. However, in certain plans, you can still submit some medical bills. These are, for example, bills for preventive checkups, vaccinations, dental cleanings, or cancer screenings. So feel free to ask your health insurance company which medical bills do not affect the cashback. In this article, we will explain the three different types of cashback in more detail and how you can get them (Did public or private increase more?).

Public health insurance cashback

The public health insurance system in Germany is based on solidarity. This means that even if you are healthy and do not use your health insurance, your contributions are still needed for other insured people. Therefore, it is very difficult for a public health insurance company to pay you cashback. However, you may be able to receive cashback in some plans. For public health insurance, the following two options are available to you:

Health Points: Some statutory health insurance plans in Germany offer health points. You can receive these points from the health insurance company if you live a healthy life. For this, you must, for example, go to the dentist regularly, be a member of a gym, etc. To redeem the points you receive, you usually have a catalog at your disposal. Unfortunately, you cannot exchange points for real money. However, you can exchange health points for things such as fitness equipment, health courses, future dental prosthesis, etc. It is important to note that health insurance companies can change the range of services at any time. So watch out for changes in the catalog.
Public Cashback: With some public health insurance plans, you can get real money as cashback. You can receive this if you use your health insurance on a conditional basis. The maximum contribution you can get as cashback from public health insurance allowed by the German government is 600€/year (see list below). This may seem very little for privately insured people, but more on this in the private health insurance cashback. The maximum 600€ you can receive as cashback may also change in the future. Therefore, pay attention to any changes.

To get more details on how to get the maximum possible cashback from German public health insurance companies, you should contact your health insurance provider. In general, you probably have to switch plans to receive cashback. While cashback in the private health insurance is automated, the cashback process in the public health insurance is manual. You have to submit a form to your public health insurance company every year.

Find English-speaking public (health) insurance plans that also pay a cashback here:

Private health insurance cashback

In the private health insurance system, your individual characteristics play the main role. These include, among other things, your age and health status. Unfortunately, not everyone living in Germany has the opportunity to opt for private health insurance based on rules the government introduced. Only employees with a gross income of more than 66.600€ in 2023, self-employed, freelancers, business owners, civil servants, and students are allowed to do so. More about private health insurance here.

However, the people who can get private health insurance, are almost all eligible for cashback. You can get cashback, just like in public health insurance, if you use your health insurance only conditionally. This means that you have to pay the majority of your bills on your own (even medical bills above your deductible). Preventive examinations, cancer screening, recommended vaccinations of the STIKO, etc. are mostly excluded from this.

If you can get private insurance and follow the regulations there, you will get a generous cashback every year at the same time around Summer. The exact amount is influenced by three conditions:

Personal Contribution: In private health insurance, the cashback is mostly determined by monthly contributions. Thus, if you get two monthly contributions as cashback, it means that you get back two times the contribution that your health insurance costs per month. Hence, as an employee, you get your part and the employer’s part.
Health Insurance Company: Each health insurance company offers different cashback models. Here there is the possibility to receive a fixed annual cashback, for example, 2.5 monthly contributions. Other health insurance companies offer an ascending cashback model. For example, you get one monthly contribution back in the first year. From the third year, the cashback amounts to two monthly premiums, and from the fifth year to three monthly premiums. Other private health insurance companies might pay a fixed cashback amount (e.g. 800€) or a percentage of your health insurance contributions.
Health Insurance Plan: Each health insurance company offers different health insurance plans. Thus, there may also be different high cashback amounts with the same health insurance company. For example, with one plan you can get a cashback of 2.5 monthly premiums plus a fixed sum of 600€, while with the same health insurance company with another plan you can get 2.5 monthly premiums plus a fixed sum of 300€ as cashback.

Each private health insurance plan offers an individual cashback model. Thus, the three factors may look different, have different effects and even some may be missing. For example, the one private health insurance company that claims to be the “German expat health insurance” is the only private health insurance in Germany that pays absolutely no cashback whatsoever.

To find out the exact cashback and cashback model of each health insurance and the one that suits you best, it makes sense to arrange a consultation. During the consultation, the respective cashback model will be explained to you and applied to your individual situation. For a free consultation with us, you can click here.

How much cashback can you get from private health insurance? 2.5x your monthly contribution? 45% of your health insurance costs? Let’s find out together.

Conclusion: Highest Possible Cashback

The highest possible cashback paid by private health insurances in Germany is 45% of the employee’s and the employer’s contribution. Because the total health insurance contribution is split 50/50 between you and your employer, the total cost to you is only 5% after receiving your cashback of 45%.

So, what can you do in order to maximize your health insurance cashback? Switch to a better health insurance company! If you earn less than 66.600€ gross salary in 2023, please contact your public health insurance company to check if at all and how much cashback you can receive. If you earn more than 66.600€ gross salary in 2023 or are self-employed, you have the freedom to switch to private health insurance. Feel free to book a free consultation with us and we will help you find the best private health insurance for your individual situation.

Cashback from german health insurance