Private Health Insurance Germany.
Made Better.

What are the main differences between public and private health insurance?

Public health insurance:

• Everyone can take out public insurance.
• Your contribution depends on your salary: the more you earn, the more you have to pay.
• Premiums can reach up to € 1,174.16 a month which you share with your employer. As a self-employed person, you must cover the full costs yourself.
• Coverage is quite limited and benefits can be cancelled at any time.

Private health insurance:

• Employees with a salary above the annual income threshold of € 73,800, self-employed persons, civil servants and students are eligible for private insurance.
• Your monthly premium does not depend on your salary.
• Premiums depend on your health status, the desired scope of benefits and your age of entry: the earlier you decide to switch to ottonova’s private health insurance, the lower your monthly premiums will be.
• Coverage is much more extensive and benefits are guaranteed for the entire duration of your contract.

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Why private insurance with ottonova is worthwile for you

Top-notch health benefits

including reimbursement of visual aids, dentures and private medical bills

Your savings potential

up to € 3,746 per year compared to public insurance

English-speaking support

in real time

Zero paperwork

digital services in one app

Worldwide coverage

up to 6 months

High customer satisfaction

according to independent KUBUS study

Appointments with English-speaking doctors

booked for you

Fulfils all legal requirements for your visa

according to § 257 SGB V

How much does a private health insurance for expats cost?

You can save a lot of money if you sign up with ottonovas private medical insurance for expats and still get much better coverage compared to public health insurance. We even designed a special tariff for expats (with temporary visa) with a lot of benefits.
Just take a look at our tariffs and get a free consultation on our private health insurance options from our English-speaking support.

Which two tariffs would you like to compare?

Selected: 0/2

First Class Expats

€167

€500 deductible

Deductible

0 %

• for Non-EU Expats only
• Accommodation in private room
• Dental prostheses: 90%
• World-wide coverage up to 2 months

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Business Class

€295

€500 €1,250 deductible

Deductible

0% 10% 25%

max €500 per year

max €1,250 per year

• Accommodation in double room
• Dental prostheses: 80%

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Business ClassPro

€325

€0 deductible

Deductible

0 % 10 % 25 %

• Contribution refund
• Accommodation in double room
• Dental prostheses: 80%

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First Class

€314

€500 €1,250 deductible

Deductible

0% 10% 25%

max €500 per year

max €1,250 per year

• Accommodation in single room
• Dental prostheses: 90%

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First ClassPro

€352

€0 deductible

Deductible

0% 10% 25%

• Contribution refund
• 9 months premium-free while on parental leave
• Accommodation in single room
• Dental prostheses: 90%

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Premium Economy

€263

€1,000 €500 deductible

Deductible

10 % 50 %

• Accommodation in double room
• Specialist via ottonova concierge
• Dental prostheses: 60%

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You selected the following tariffs:

Exemplary monthly rate for employees	Public insurance Basic insurance protection €604	Experts' recommendation €500 deductible First Class Expats Best coverage for Expats €167 €500 deductible	€500 €1,000 deductible Premium Economy Good coverage with lowest premium €263 €500 €1,000 deductible	€500 €1,250 deductible Business Class Good price-performance ratio €295 €295 €500 €1,250 deductible	€0 deductible Business Class Pro Great performance without deductible €325 €325 €0 deductible	€500 €1,250 deductible First Class Excellent coverage €314 €314 €500 €1,250 deductible	€0 deductible First Class Pro+ Outstanding coverage without deductible €352 €352 €0 deductible
	Public insurance €604	First Class Expats €167	Premium Economy €263	Business Class €295 €295	Business Class Pro €325	First Class €314 €314	First Class Pro+ €352
	Public insurance	Tariff First Class Expats	Tariff Premium Economy	Tariff Business Class	Tariff Business Class Pro	Tariff First Class	Tariff First Class Pro+
deductible Adjust your deductible according to your individual needs.		10% max €500 per year	10% 50% max €1,000 per year max €500 per year	0% 10% 25% max €500 per year max €1,250 per year	0% 10% 25%	0% 10% 25% max €500 per year max €1,250 per year	0% 10% 25%
Contribution refund
Deductible	up to €10 co-payment for medicines, remedies and aids as well as per day in hospital, max. 2% of income, 1% for chronically ill patients	10% per invoice and max €500 per year	10% per invoice and max €500 per year 50% per invoice and max €1,000 per year	10% per invoice and max €500 per year 25% per invoice and max €1,250 per year	No deductible	10% per invoice and max €500 per year 25% per invoice and max €1,250 per year	No deductible
Monthly contribution	€604	€167	€263	€295	€325	€314	€352
Contribution refund	none	none	none	none	up to 1 annual average monthly premium	none	up to 1 annual average monthly premium
Outpatient services
Appointment booking through our Concierge
Directly to the specialist, access to private doctors			via ottonova concierge
Corrective lenses, e.g. glasses/contact lenses		up to €300 in 2 years	up to €150 in 3 years	up to €300 in 2 years	up to €300 in 2 years	up to €500 in 2 years	up to €500 in 2 years
Elective Vision Correction Surgery (for example, LASIK)			up to €1,000	up to €2,000	up to €2,000	up to €3,000	up to €5,000
Alternative practitioners		up to €1,000	up to €500	up to €1,000	up to €1,000	up to €1,500	up to €2,000
Inpatient services
Free choice of doctor (including head of department)
Accommodation	Multi-bed room	Private room	Double room	Double room	Double room	Private or double room	Private room
Assumption of costs for treatment in private clinics
Dental services
Dental treatments	0 - 100 %	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Dental prostheses	10 - 65 %	60 - 90%	60%	80%	80%	90%	90%
Professional dental cleaning	small subsidy possible	100% 2x per insurance year, max. €125 per treatment	100% 1x per insurance year, max. €125 per treatment	100% 2x per insurance year, max. €125 per treatment	100% 2x per insurance year, max. €125 per treatment	100% 2x per insurance year, max. €125 per treatment	100% unlimited reimbursement
Other services
Bonus for preventive health care	potentially
Worldwide coverage and repatriation
Preventive medical checkups without age limits
Coverage guaranteed for a lifetime
Contribution-free during parental leave	potentially						(up to 9 months when receiving parental allowance)
This list does not represent a conclusive comparison between the scope of the public health insurance coverage and the scope of coverage of the ottonova tariffs. The coverage details described are an excerpt from the tariff benefits and highlight differences. For comprehensive advice, please contact our experts. Please find a summary of the coverage details of the ottonova tariffs here. And for full descriptions of the ottonova tariffs click here. The terms and conditions of the individual insurance contract shall prevail and apply. The English translation is a non-binding version for your information only and has no legally binding character. The contract language will be German only.

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Public insurance First Class Expats Premium Economy Business Class Business Class Pro First Class First Class Pro+

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Who can benefit from an expat health insurance plan in Germany?

The laws in Germany only allow residents with a limited residency permit to sign up for expat health insurance plans.

• If you are an expat here on a limited permit (Non-EU citizens with temporary visa working in Germany) and plan to stay in Germany less than five years – or simply not sure how long you'll be here - you can benefit from our expat health insurance plan: First Class Expats.
• If you are an EU citizen or plan on staying in Germany for longer than five years (no matter if EU- or Non-EU citizen), you can choose between our different long-term full-insurance options at ottonova: Premium Economy Class, Business Class and First Class.

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ottonova makes your visa application simple!

ottonova is a fully licensed German health insurance and fulfills all regulatory requirements, unlike other providers such as Mawista, Cigna or Allianz Worldwide Care.

We are regulated in § 257 SGB V, which is necessary for your visa applications. This also includes the Expat tariff.

What's covered?

Discover top-notch benefits for your health!

Medical treatments

• 100 % reimbursement for outpatient medical treatment and direct specialist treatment
• Free choice of physician and clinic as well as more physicians to choose from through access to private practices and clinics
• Reimbursement for many treatment methods in contrast to public health insurance in significantly more cases: e.g. acupuncture, alternative practitioners, chiropractors, elective vision correction surgery, as well as preventative treatments without age limits

Alternative healing methods

• We reimburse treatments from naturopaths with alternative treatment methods such as homeopathy or natural cures
• 100 % reimbursement for alternative medicine methods administered by a doctor

Medication

• You need medication? All prescribed medicines (as well as high-cost medicines) are reimbursed
• Your advantage: Even medicines that your doctor prescribes for you, which do not necessarily require a prescription, such as headache tablets or nasal spray, are also covered by ottonova

Natural healing methods and medical aids

• 100 % reimbursement for natural healing methods such as massages, physiotherapy, ergotherapy and more
• Do you wear glasses? We also cover the costs of vision aids like glasses or contact lenses with up to 500 € every 2 years, depending on the tariff
• Medical aids such as hearing aids, prosthetics or wheelchairs are also reimbursed at 100 %

Dental health

• 100 % coverage of dental treatments like fillings or root canals
• Would you like to have your teeth professionally cleaned? We reimburse you for professional dental cleanings up to two times per insurance year or as often as you want with our First Class Pro+ plan
• Up to 90 % reimbursement for dental implants like inlays, onlays, dental implants crowns, bridges or prosthetic teeth
• Does your child need braces? ottonova reimburses up to 100 % of orthodontic treatments for children (up to the age of 21)

Family & Pregnancy

• Fertility treatments reimbursement up to €3,000 during the first 36 month, afterwards unlimited (after prior approval in text form, in our Business and First Class plans)
• 100 % reimbursement for prenatal courses (also for partners), pregnancy and postnatal therapy
• Comprehensive prenatal diagnostics (3x during pregnancy)
• Midwifery services before, during and after the birth as well as intensive care up to three times a day
• If you would like to give birth in a birthing center, ottonova also offers corresponding services (Business and First Class plans)
• Lump sum for childbirth € 400 per delivery (Business Class plans) or € 600 per delivery (First Class plans)
• Many parents prefer to stay with their smaller children when they are being treated in a hospital. Therefore, we cover the accommodation costs for parental accompaniment (rooming-in). This applies to children up to 14 years of age
• With the First Class Pro+ plan, you pay no premiums for up to 9 months when you receive parental allowance

Insurance protection abroad

• Up to 6 months worldwide coverage at no extra charge
• Unlimited insurance coverage within the European Economic Area
• Reimbursement of medical transportation to Germany from foreign countries

Are you ready to be part of ottonova's digital health insurance?

Go ahead now to save time and money by choosing our digital private health insurance, with English-speaking support in real time!

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A comparison that is worthwhile for you.

Our example of a 32-year-old employee shows you the savings potential with our Business Class tariff compared to various public health insurance plans.

7 easy steps to ottonova. 100% digital.

And it's as simple as this:

1. make an appointment & have a consultation
2. submit application via premium calculator
3. answer health questions
4. check and conclude insurance contract
5. cancel your current insurance
6. activate account in your app: all documents at a glance
7. enjoy all the benefits of your new digital health insurance policy

Get your personal offer

Time-saving digital services
– all in one app.

We offer you everything you need to skip the paperwork and make your health insurance as easy as possible.

We'll do the work for you.

• Appointment service Our Concierge service arranges your medical appointments.
• Health advice Answers all your health and medical insurance questions
• Service abroad Fast, reliable & digital at your side for help.

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Digital doctor’s visit

• Video Consultations with our Partner TeleClinic Don’t want to leave your home? No problem! TeleClinic doctors are available to provide you with digital consultations 24/7, including Sundays and public holidays.
• Save Time Receive medical certificates and prescriptions through telemedicine consultations. As fully insured ottonova-member, you’ll often benefit from priority consultations within 30 minutes.
• Second Opinion Wondering if a procedure is really necessary? We’ll help you get a well-founded second opinion.

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Our app - a real multi-talent

• Keep track Find all the tariff information in your profile at a glance and change it if necessary.
• Fast refunds of your invoices Upload your invoice via app - receive money back within a few days.
• Perfectly organized, without paperwork We sort your documents and events chronologically in your app.

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FAQs to the expat health insurance

Is my family included?

Under the private health insurance system, every family member needs their own individual policy, and the cost (premium) is calculated based on each person's health and age when they enroll. Because of this, children's premiums are typically quite affordable. To insure your children in private health insurance can have a lot of advantages. Read more in our article about private health insurance for families!

What happens to my contract if I leave?

You're free to go! No wiggling out of a tricky contract, no matter which health insurance tariff you choose. If you leave Germany sooner, simply contact us and attach your deregistration form from the German Immigration Office - an Abmeldungsbescheinigung. We'll close your contract and wish you the best of luck on your journey. Promise!

How often do premiums increase?

As a regulated health insurance, we cannot just increase premiums any time we want. Premiums can increase when actual health costs in general differ more than 5% from what we calculated. This can only happen due to inflation and rising medical costs.

However, this will never happen for single individuals but rather for all insured people at the same time. Specifically, we cannot increase your premiums because you get sick or because you get older. We also cannot terminate your contract for those reasons. We guarantee you coverage for a lifetime when you sign up.

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Can I sign up from abroad?

You can start your sign-up process from abroad. As soon as you arrive in Germany, we will organize a general check-up with an English-speaking nurse for you. When we receive the results, we will be able to finalize your policy.

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Does ottonova help with my visa application?

Definitely! ottonova is a fully licensed German health insurance and fulfills all regulatory requirements, unlike other providers such as Mawista, Cigna or Allianz Worldwide Care.

We are regulated in § 257 SGB V, which is necessary for your visa applications. This also includes the Expat tariff.

How can I cancel my current insurance?

We can help you write your cancellation letter for your current insurer and send it to you by email. Piece of cake! Just contact our team!

Can I have top-up insurance with ottonova?

If you’re insured in the public system, we can also offer you one of our top-up insurances. We can offer Dental Top-Up and Hospital Top-Up tariffs. You can give us a call and we will help you find the best option for you!

How can foreigners get healthcare in Germany?

In Germany, individuals who reside or work in the country for an extended period of time are required to possess health insurance. To comply with this requirement, it is necessary to register with the German authorities in your local area. During this process, you will receive a German social insurance number, which is essential for accessing the German healthcare system. The subsequent step involves enrolling with a health insurance fund to gain access to healthcare services.

The choice between private and public health insurance options or mandatory enrollment in public health insurance depends on your employment status and income.

Find out more in our article about the healthcare system in Germany.

What happens if you do not take out health insurance in Germany?

Not obtaining health insurance is against the law and can result in significant expenses. If you are discovered to be residing in Germany without health insurance, you may be required to pay retroactive premiums to cover the entirety of your stay.

Why is the Expat tariff cheaper?

Normally, private insurance plans help you to save for your future - you'll pay more now, so that your premiums don't rise later. But if you're only planning on staying in Germany for a short time - less than 60 months - then there's no need to set this extra money aside.

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Health insurance in Germany: Is public or private health insurance better?

Health insurance is a mandatory requirement for all residents in Germany, including expatriates. The choice between the two main types of health insurance, the statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) and private health insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV), is a personal one with pros and cons for both options. Expats in Germany must have health insurance. Ultimately, the best choice depends on individual needs and circumstances.

Public health insurance is the predominant option in Germany and is funded by contributions from both employees and employers. Employees in Germany are automatically enrolled in statutory health insurance, and the costs are based on income and household size. Private health insurance is an alternative for individuals earning more than € 73,800 per year or those who are self-employed. Private health insurance offers more extensive coverage options compared to statutory health insurance.

Germany has several private health insurance companies. It is essential to compare policies and coverage options, ensuring the chosen company is reputable and financially stable. Your health insurance card of your insurance company is crucial for accessing medical care in Germany. Always carry it with you when visiting doctors or hospitals.

Is health insurance mandatory for your visa and your stay in Germany?

In Germany, it is a legal obligation for all residents, including non-EU citizens, to have health insurance coverage. This requirement is not only essential for access to healthcare services but is also a prerequisite when applying for a visa to stay in the country. The penalties for not having health insurance in Germany can vary depending on the individual circumstances and the duration of non-compliance.

Firstly, individuals without valid health insurance may face fines imposed by the government or public authorities. These fines can accumulate over time until the individual obtains the necessary health insurance. Additionally, lacking health insurance can result in delayed or denied medical treatment, which can have serious health implications.

Moreover, non-compliance with health insurance requirements can adversely affect an individual's legal standing in Germany. It may impact visa renewals, residency permits, or future visa applications. Furthermore, individuals without health insurance may encounter challenges in various administrative and legal processes within the country.

To ensure legal compliance and access to essential healthcare services, it is crucial for everyone, especially non-EU citizens, to obtain the required health insurance coverage while residing or staying in Germany.

Are you covered by your foreign health insurance in Germany?

Non-EU citizens moving to Germany generally need to obtain German health insurance to qualify for a residence permit. Therefore, getting German health insurance is a crucial step upon your arrival. Some exceptions to these requirements apply to students.

If you are an EU citizen, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers you during short-term visits. However, once you register officially in Germany, it's essential to obtain local health insurance.

Is travel insurance such as Mawista sufficient as health insurance for a stay in Germany?

No, travel health insurance like Mawista is not adequate for an extended stay in Germany.

If Germany is going to be your home country for at least the next few years, travel insurances are not eligible for obtaining a visa in Germany, as they do not comply with §257 SGB V, §61(6) SGB XI. Unlike ottonova's health insurance, these insurances also do not contribute to the required long-term care insurance.