Family Insurance (Familienversicherung)
Family insurance allows spouses and children of a member of Germany's statutory health insurance to be co-insured without additional contribution, subject to income limits.
Concept
Family insurance is a distinctive feature of Germany’s statutory health insurance under which spouses, registered civil partners, and children of a statutorily insured member can be co-insured without an additional contribution, subject to certain conditions.
Requirements
Family insurance requires in particular that the co-insured family member’s own total income does not exceed the compulsory insurance threshold, that the family member is not engaged in self-employment as a primary occupation, and that the family member is not otherwise already subject to compulsory insurance, exempt from insurance, or released from the insurance obligation for other reasons; for children, general age limits also apply, which can be extended under certain conditions (such as schooling or vocational training).
Relevance for Contributors
Family insurance is a central solidarity feature of statutory health insurance, since it allows a single contributing member to secure full health insurance coverage for the entire family without additional contributions for co-insured family members; if a family member’s income exceeds the threshold, family insurance ceases to apply to that person, and separate insurance becomes necessary.