Health & Care
Private Health Insurance
best health insurance companies in Germany
The Best Health Insurance Providers in Germany: Your Guide to Optimal Healthcare 2025
Choosing the right health insurance is an important decision with direct implications for your health and finances. With over 90 statutory health insurers and numerous private providers, it can be difficult to keep track. This article highlights what you need to consider to identify the best health insurance options in Germany for your situation.
The topic in brief and concise terms
The choice of health insurance should be based on individual needs, a comparison of contributions (including an additional contribution, averaging 2.5 percent in 2025), and benefits.
Statutory health insurance funds (GKV) differ significantly in additional services and bonus programs, whereas private health insurances (PKV) offer individual tariffs but are not accessible or beneficial for everyone.
Test results from independent institutes (e.g., Focus Money, Euro) offer good guidance for identifying Germany's best health insurance companies, with both nationwide and regional insurers being rated highly.
Find the optimal coverage: The current test winners of health insurance
The search for the best health insurance funds in Germany is supported annually by various tests. Focus Money (issue 7/2025) has named Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) the overall winner among 67 tested funds for the tenth consecutive time. It is closely followed by regional providers such as AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland. The business magazine "Euro" (issue 4/2025) ranks HEK – Hanseatische Krankenkasse first among the nationwide open funds, based on the evaluation of 95 funds. These tests consider factors such as finances, service, additional benefits, and bonus programmes. Many insured individuals underestimate the performance differences of up to several hundred euros annually. Therefore, choosing the right health insurance is crucial. The results show that both nationwide and regional funds can offer excellent services.
Statutory Health Insurance (GKV): More Than Just Basic Coverage
About 90 per cent of the population in Germany is covered by statutory health insurance (GKV). The general contribution rate is legally set at 14.6 per cent, with an additional contribution that is specific to each health insurance fund. For 2025, this additional contribution ranges between 2.18 per cent and 4.4 per cent, with the average additional contribution being 2.5 per cent. An increase in the additional contribution by 0.8 percentage points can result in additional monthly costs of 24 euros with a gross income of 3,000 euros. However, many funds offer attractive additional benefits that go beyond the statutory framework. These include, for example, professional dental cleanings, enhanced preventive examinations or orthodontic services for children. The statutory benefits can represent a real added value of over one hundred euros per year. The exact benefits are regulated in the Social Code, Fifth Book (SGB V). Therefore, a careful review of the benefits of the GKV is recommended.
Expert-level Depth GKV: Understand the Social Code Book V
The Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V) forms the legal foundation of statutory health insurance in Germany and comprises over 320 paragraphs. It governs the insured group, benefit entitlements, and financing. A central aspect is the efficiency requirement in Paragraph 12 SGB V: services must be sufficient, appropriate, and economical, and should not exceed what is necessary. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) specifies many benefit entitlements in guidelines. For example, Paragraph 37 SGB V regulates home nursing care, which can avoid or shorten a hospital stay and is generally limited to four weeks. Our expert tip: Pay attention to Paragraph 20 SGB V, which includes preventive services like health courses, subsidised by many insurers. Knowing relevant paragraphs helps you better assert your claims. For specific questions about health insurance, we are here to assist you.
Private Health Insurance (PKV): Individual Plans for Specific Needs
Private health insurance (PHI) often offers more comprehensive services and more individual tariff options than statutory health insurance (SHI). The premium here is not based on income, but on the age of entry, health condition, and chosen services. The winner in company quality for 2024/25 according to DFSI is Allianz. To switch to PHI, employees in 2025 must prove an annual income above the compulsory insurance limit of 73,800 euros (monthly 6,150 euros). Advantages often include treatment by chief physicians, single or double rooms in hospitals, and faster appointments with specialists. An important aspect is the ageing reserves, which help keep contributions more stable in old age. However, in PHI, family members usually have to take out their own contracts, which can lead to higher overall costs. A careful evaluation of the private health insurance options is essential.
Additional contributions and bonus programs: Utilise potential savings and added value
The individual additional contribution in the statutory health insurance (GKV) can significantly affect the monthly expenses. In 2025, the average additional contribution is 2.5 percent of the contributory income. However, some insurance funds charge significantly less, with the range running from 2.18 percent to 4.4 percent. Switching to a more affordable fund can mean savings of several hundred euros per year. Many health insurance providers also offer attractive bonus programs that reward health-conscious behaviour. For preventive medical check-ups, sports club memberships or non-smoking, policyholders can receive cash premiums or subsidies for health services. The DAK-Gesundheit and BARMER were rated as excellent for their bonus programs in 2025 by Focus Money. Some funds offer bonuses of up to several hundred euros per year. It is worth comparing the offers carefully before deciding on one of the best health insurers in Germany. The topic of daily sickness allowance should also be considered in the planning.
Expert tips for choosing your health insurance
Choosing the optimal health insurance requires a careful analysis of your personal situation. Our expert tip: Create a list of your essential healthcare services and compare them with the offers available. Pay attention not only to the contribution rate but also to the amount of the additional contribution and the bonus programmes offered. For families, the free insurance of children in the statutory health insurance (GKV) is an important factor. If you value alternative healing methods, you should check which insurers offer subsidies for them. When travelling abroad, the extent of coverage is crucial; in this instance, international health insurance can be beneficial. Also consider whether a care insurance is already relevant now. Thorough research and, if necessary, advice can help save costs in the long term and ensure optimal care.
Recommendation: How to Find Your Best Health Insurance Provider
To find the best health insurance provider for you in Germany, proceed methodically. Start with an assessment of your current professional and family situation as well as your health. Define your priorities: Is it the lowest contribution rate, a comprehensive range of services, or specific services? Use comparison portals to get an initial overview of contribution rates and additional contributions; the average additional contribution will be 2.5 percent in 2025. Carefully check the websites of the insurers that are on your shortlist for additional services and bonus programmes—differences can amount to over a hundred euros per year here. Also consider test results from independent institutes, which often compare more than 60 insurers. Our expert tip: You can usually change statutory health insurance providers after a binding period of twelve months or if the additional contribution is increased. Take your time making this important decision.
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More useful links
Bundesgesundheitsministerium offers an online guide to health insurance.
Bundesgesundheitsministerium provides information on statutory health insurance (GKV).
Bundesgesundheitsministerium delivers figures and facts about members and insured persons in health insurance.
Wikipedia offers an article on statutory health insurance in Germany.
Wikipedia contains a comprehensive article on health insurance in Germany.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) provides information on health insurance coverage.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) informs about healthcare expenditure in Germany.
Bundesamt für Soziale Sicherung offers figures and statistics on health insurance.
Verband der Ersatzkassen (vdek) provides data on the insured.
Wikipedia lists German health insurance companies.
FAQ
Kann ich meine Krankenkasse einfach wechseln?
Yes, generally you can switch your statutory health insurance after a binding period of twelve months. Furthermore, a special right of termination exists if your health insurance company increases the additional contribution. The switch itself is straightforward; the new insurance company usually takes care of the termination formalities.
Lohnen sich Bonusprogramme der Krankenkassen?
Yes, bonus programmes can be beneficial. For health-conscious behaviour such as preventative check-ups, sporting activities, or non-smoking, many insurers offer cash bonuses or allowances that can amount to several hundred euros a year.
Was passiert mit meinem Beitrag zur PKV im Alter?
Private health insurers create so-called ageing reserves. A portion of your contribution is saved to cushion the generally rising health costs in retirement and to keep contributions as stable as possible. However, contributions can still increase as you age.
Sind die Leistungen aller gesetzlichen Krankenkassen gleich?
No. Although a large part of the services is legally stipulated (around 95 percent), there are differences in the so-called statute benefits (additional benefits) and the bonus programmes, which each insurer can design individually.
Wer kann sich privat krankenversichern?
In general, civil servants, the self-employed, freelancers, and employees whose annual gross income exceeds the threshold (in 2025: 73,800 euros) can take out private health insurance.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen dem allgemeinen Beitragssatz und dem Zusatzbeitrag?
The general contribution rate for statutory health insurance is set by law (currently 14.6 percent). The additional contribution is an individual percentage that each health insurance company can charge in addition to cover their financial gaps.
