BethAnnBitt

Yes.  We were responding at the same time John. 

A US citizen over 55 can join as a dependent (familienversichert) on the publically insured spouse’s plan if that person comes to Germany and lives for a few months with income under a threshold of about 450E a month.  Of course this poses a problem if one is already drawing on SS (so some folks have deferred it as a workaround), and it also poses a problem if one no longer works but has investment or rental income in the US.   All of these rules are very complicated. Each case can have a just a shade of difference that can mean a “yes” or “no”.  Sometimes the insurance company representative gives out incorrect information, not necessarily with evil intent. All of the information on TT threads is useful, but at the end of the day some cases are just so complicated that a Versicherungsberater or health insurance lawyer is really a necessity for advocacy.  One hopefully doesn’t make an irreversible misstep and one needs to be prepared to challenge matters if/when necessary. 

I did not realize that public insurance is tax deductible. Is deductibility subject to income limitations? Where can one go to find out information on this topic?

SS income is taxable in Germany when one is a permanent resident there, just as it is taxable income when one resides in the US. (Dual National doesn't play a role.)   But some types of government pensions are exempt from taxation. A pension, and SS income, are different vehicles.

For how long should you have no reportable income? 2 months before arriving? 6 months?

We are moving from Kansas to Konstanz. I’m considering UPackWeShip for the kind of things you are talking about. We aren’t bringing furniture. And since it’s a retirement move the cost is all on us. 

I pay $750 a month.   And if anyone remembers, we were/are moving to Germany. My husband, age 67, naturalized in the US at age 27. He is now in our new rental in Germany as of 2/1, has handed necessary paperwork in for residency, and was told to expect his permit any day now. He was also told that in a year he can have his German citizenship back and be dual.   We are stepping back into AOK as 55+ because they insured us from 1986-88. 

Medicare Part A is for hospitalization only, and it can only be used in the US. It’s not going to cover anything in Germany. It will pay all of your hospital stay. Part B is for physician’s services and outpatient procedures. One needs to notify Social Security within the 3 months before and after the 65th birthday in order to make elections and deferrals. If you have a US base of any sort I would suggest contacting that Social Security office.   

Kenny - It takes a lot of perseverance to make such a big move later. My husband, a former German citizen, and I have been working on this for the past 8 months. There is much to keep track of and one has to be prepared for a bumpy ride. We have finally received word that my husband will be granted a residency permit. He’s heading to Konstanz next week to search for an apartment. There were times also where we received incorrect information because there are many unique factors in our case too. Good luck to you in continuing to work on this exciting project!