Healthcare
Public versus private insurance, finding English-speaking doctors, dental care, and mental health support. The German healthcare system decoded for expats.
- Public Insurance (GKV)
- Private Insurance (PKV)
- Finding Doctors
- Mental Health
- Dental Care
Latest in Health
12 articles
Private Health Insurance (PKV) for Freelancers in Germany ({{YEAR}})
Why freelancers in Germany face the GKV-vs-PKV choice differently, how PKV premiums really work, and the trap of switching that you cannot easily undo.
Krankschreibung: The German Sick Note Rules ({{YEAR}})
When you need a doctor's sick note in Germany, how the electronic eAU works now, how long you keep getting paid, and what to tell your employer.
Vaccinations and the Impfpass in Germany ({{YEAR}})
How vaccinations work in Germany, why you need an Impfpass, what STIKO recommends, and how to get your foreign vaccination record recognised.
Pregnancy in Germany: Mutterschutz, Hebamme, and Care ({{YEAR}})
How prenatal care works in Germany, what a Hebamme does, the Mutterschutz job protection, and the documents that decide your maternity benefits.
German Dental Care: The Bonusheft and What You Pay ({{YEAR}})
Why German public insurance barely covers crowns, what the Bonusheft saves you, and when dental insurance (Zahnzusatz) is worth it.
Getting Therapy on German Public Insurance (GKV) ({{YEAR}})
How to actually access therapy on German public health insurance, the waiting-list problem, the free trial sessions, and the routes around the queue.
The German Apotheke: How Pharmacies Work Here ({{YEAR}})
Why you cannot buy painkillers in a German supermarket, what only an Apotheke can sell, how prescriptions work, and finding the night-duty pharmacy.
How to Find an English-Speaking Doctor in Germany ({{YEAR}})
Where to actually find English-speaking doctors in Germany, how to filter for language, and what to do when the only available practice speaks only German.
TK vs Barmer vs AOK: The Krankenkasse Decision Nobody Helps You Make
TK costs 2.69%, Barmer 3.29%, AOK varies wildly by Bundesland. On a €5,000 salary, that's €30/month difference. The real divergence is in English support, mental health programs, and app quality.
How Nigerian Expats Enroll in German Health Insurance in Year One
TK and Barmer accept Nigerian applicants the fastest. The 8-week window between visa arrival and GKV enrollment. Family reunification cover, dependent rules, and what mental health access actually looks like.
GKV vs PKV: Which German Health Insurance Should You Choose?
The €77,400 income threshold, the family-coverage difference, the one-way door at age 55. A decision tree for choosing between public and private German health insurance as an expat, with real costs.
My Therapist Costs €5. My Dentist Sent Me a €340 Bill.
GKV pays for unlimited therapy at almost no cost and barely a third of a crown. The math is bizarre. Here is exactly what your public insurance covers, what it does not, and the booklet you should have stamped last year.