Private health insurance income threshold 2008

Hi,

I can easily find the income threshold for '07 (€47,700), but haven't been able to find it for '08.

Has it been increased?

My wage is only a little above the current threshold and payrises aren't expected until March, so I'm a bit unsure about what would happen if I were to drop below any new threshold.

Thanks

48,150 €

See e.g.: http://www.krankenversicherung-individuell...e-2008-427.html

Damn :-(

Thanks for the information, anyway.

So if my salary is below this level on January 1st 2008, will I have to switch to public insurance?

This system is a nightmare.

No, you are not forced to change your health insurance back to "gesetzlich". In fact, you are not even allowed to, unless you can prove that your income has been below the threshold for a minimum of 12 consecutive months.

Thanks for clearing that up.

My HR department were giving me conflicting information, but after emailing them your comment and contacting my insurer, everything appears to be sorted.

Anyone know how what happens if you're in this situation of having to have you salary over the threshold for 3 years before you can go private and due to increase you dip below it for a month? I've been over the threshold since the begining of August when I moved jobs, but I'm going to dip below it by 12 euros this month, before I go well above it again next month when I get a pay rise at the end of hte probezeit. Do I then have to start again with the 3 years from February?

while the legal situation is not entirely clear here, as I read the law you will still have fulfilled the qualification for opting out if your total salary for this year including the one month when you are below the threshold will exceed the total threshold of 48.150.- EUR gross salary for 2008.

hope that helps. if your employer (who has to judge if you are allowed to switch to private health insurance or not) is uncertain about this issue and needs reassurance/help, just get back to me directly (see the link down below at the disclosure line) and I'll be happy to explain this to them. Some German HRM folks are still very uncertain about the extend of the change in law and the regulation therein.

Before you actually opt out, however, you should get qualified and independent advice on this issue to make sure that opting out is really your best decision.

Cheerio

Can't see any link or disclosure line, though. (Maybe that's due to my internet settings?)

@Starshollow. Thanks very much, that good to know. I'm still going to be 2.5 years away from the end of the 3 years, so I've plenty of time yet, but when the time comes it will be good to be 'allowed' to weigh up my options and decide whether it's better to go private or stay public.

Of course by then I suppose there's always the possibility that the whole system will have changed anyway. They might even do something sensible like saying everyone has to contribute to the public system (which I guess should make it cheaper for everyone), and that those who want to pay for extra private cover can do so. Or would that be too sensible for politicians?

my personal and/or political point of view is the same: I would rather have every German, regardless of income, sex or whatever, pay into a solid public health insurance system which protects against major illness and emergencies and so on. Any additional service/coverage should be open for private add-on insurance. It would make the system more just and easier to handle from the public finance side. But thats just me...

Cheerio

tom_a: there always appears a disclaimer (sorry: not a disclosure) beneath my postings since I am also a professional advertiser here on TT. At the end of the disclaimer line is a link which conects you to me...

Nope, I can see no disclaimer, no disclosure and no link.

@tom a
I'll copy Starshollow's link for you: C R & Cie. Can you see it now?

I don't really need his link. Just thought it might be interesting for him to know that his disclaimer and link are apparently not generally visible (not sure if others can see it below his posts or not).