Private health insurance for employees in Germany: cost, eligibility and employer share
Employees can opt into private only if their gross salary exceeds €77,400/year (2026). Employers pay up to half the premium.
What employees should know
€77,400 gross/year threshold
Required for opting out of public cover. You qualify once your regular salary exceeds the threshold for a calendar year, or immediately when you start a new job above it.
Employer pays up to 50% (capped)
The employer share is capped at the public-system equivalent, a good €500 per month in 2026. You pay the rest.
Private is sticky
Below 55 you can sometimes return to public if your salary drops below threshold for 12+ months. Above 55, you stay on private.
Family math matters
If your spouse may stop working, public family insurance covers them free, a major argument for staying public.
What you really pay after the employer share
Illustrative 2026 premiums for a healthy 35-year-old employee, including long-term care insurance. Your employer pays back roughly half, capped by law.
Budget entry tariff
Higher deductible, trimmed comfort
from €420/mo
Balanced mid tariff
Strong dental and hospital cover
from €500/mo
Premium tariff
Single room, top physician, full dental
from €600/mo
The net math (age 35)
Choose a plan to compare
Illustrative ranges across major insurers for a healthy applicant without risk loadings. Actual premiums depend on insurer, tariff, deductible and health declaration. Ask us for tariff-specific quotes, the consultation is free.
The €77,400 threshold, explained
The insurance threshold (Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze) is the legal line between mandatory public insurance and the freedom to choose. In 2026 it sits at €77,400 gross per year. What counts, when you cross it and what happens if you fall back below it all follow fixed rules; the full detail lives on our salary threshold page, and our free eligibility check applies them to your case in two minutes.
- 1.What counts toward it
Regular gross salary including a 13th salary and contractually guaranteed bonuses. Irregular one-off payments and expense reimbursements usually do not count.
- 2.When you become free to choose
Your regular pay must clear the threshold for the calendar year and be expected to clear next year's line too. New hires whose salary is above it can choose from day one.
- 3.It moves every January
The government raises the threshold most years. A salary that clears this year's line can be caught by next year's increase, so plan with headroom rather than at the edge.
- 4.Falling back below it
You normally become publicly insured again, unless you apply for an exemption to stay private. From age 55, staying private is effectively permanent either way.
When private is worth it for employees
For a high earner the private premium is often lower than the public contribution and buys noticeably more. But the right answer depends on your family plans and your horizon, not just this year's payslip. The full comparison walks through both systems side by side.
- Strong case: young, healthy, well paid
Clearing the threshold at 30 to 40 in good health usually means better cover for less money than public, with the employer paying back half.
- Think twice: a partner who may stop working
Public covers a non-working spouse and children for free; private does not. Single-earner family plans shift the math toward public.
- Calculate carefully from the late 40s
Entry premiums rise with joining age and the reserve-building window shrinks. It can still work; we model it over 20 years before recommending.
- Either way: decide with the exit in mind
Know the routes back, the age-55 line and your Anwartschaft options before you sign, not after.
Common questions
Related guides
The pages that come up most often when employees are at this stage.
Eligibility full guide
All three eligibility paths, including the threshold rules.
Learn moreHow to switch
Step-by-step switch process for employees.
Learn moreSalary threshold
The income limit to qualify.
Learn moreWhat it costs
Average premiums and what drives them.
Learn moreWhat's covered
Treatments, dental, and limits explained.
Learn morePublic vs private compared
The full comparison: cost, family cover, retirement and who each system suits.
Learn moreCalculate your premium
Free calculator: see a realistic private premium before you talk to anyone.
Learn more