There is a point in the German health system where the logic quietly breaks down. Your contribution rises with your salary until it hits a ceiling, and then it stops. In 2026 that ceiling sits at €69,750 of gross income. Earn more than that, and every additional euro is free of health insurance contributions. It also buys you nothing extra: the same waiting rooms, the same referral process, the same shared hospital room.
At the same time, a second threshold applies. Once your regular gross salary exceeds €77,400 a year, you are no longer subject to compulsory statutory insurance. You may stay voluntarily. You may also move to private cover. Almost nobody explains the difference properly, so most expats do nothing and keep paying.
This webinar exists to fix that. Marvin, who handles insurance and financial planning at Finance for Expats, will put both systems side by side using real figures rather than brochures.
What we will cover
The thresholds, explained properly. Where €77,400 comes from, why there is a second, lower figure of €69,750 for people privately insured since 2002, and the rule that surprises people every January: you have to exceed the threshold in the current year and the year that follows.
What you actually pay now. A live calculation of the statutory contribution at the ceiling, employer share included, so you can see your true annual figure rather than the line on your payslip.
What private cover buys. Direct access to specialists, treatment by senior physicians, single or double hospital rooms, meaningful dental cover, faster appointments, and tariff structures you can shape around what you actually need.
Where private cover is the wrong answer. This section matters as much as the rest. Premiums rise with age rather than salary. A non-working spouse and children are covered free in the statutory system and are not covered free privately. Returning to the statutory system after 55 is close to impossible. If any of these apply to you, we will say so plainly.
The expat question. What happens to each option if you leave Germany in five years, how dormancy arrangements work, and why the answer is different for someone on a permanent contract than for someone on a rotation.
The timing. Health underwriting and policy issuance typically take four to eight weeks. To have private cover in place on 1 January, applications realistically need to be in by the end of September. The statutory notice period runs to 31 October, but by then the underwriting window has closed. That is what makes this month the decision point.
This webinar is for you if
- Your gross salary is above €77,400, or will be once your next increase lands
- You are already privately insured and want to know whether your tariff still makes sense
- You have been told private insurance is cheaper, or told it is a trap, and you want the arithmetic instead of the opinion
- You are planning a family, a property purchase, or a move, and want the health insurance decision to fit the rest of the plan
Session details
- Hosted by: Marvin, Insurance and Financial Planning, Finance for Expats GmbH
- When: Friday, 18 September 2026, 19:00 CEST
- Duration: approximately 60 minutes plus live Q&A
- Cost: Free
Finance for Expats has supported more than 2,500 expats in Germany across mortgages, property and protection, working entirely in English.
