Change health insurance company
Insured persons are free to choose their health insurance company. This also applies if you have voluntary statutory health insurance.
You are bound to your choice for at least 12 months. This period can also be extended if you participate in an optional tariff.
If you have opted for an optional tariff, you are bound to this health insurance company for up to three years, depending on the tariff. It is not possible to change health insurance company during this time. However, this does apply if the health insurance company changessupplementary contribution. In this case, you have a special right of cancellation.
There must be no gap between switching from one health insurance company to another. The insurance cover must continue without interruption.
Responsible department
Your health insurance company
Details
Prerequisite
- You are older than 15 years and have been insured with the same health insurance fund for at least 12 months, or
- Your health insurance company levies an additional contribution for the first time or increases it.
Procedure
You can switch to another statutory health insurance fund if the statutory minimum commitment period for the choice of health insurance fund is fulfilled (12 months). Cancellation is not necessary. Simply apply for membership with the new health insurance company of your choice. The application can usually be made online. Your newly chosen health insurance company will inform your previous health insurance company about the change. Only members who wish to leave the statutory health insurance system system have to cancel their contract with their previous health insurance company. In this case, you must prove that you have other cover in the event of illness in order for the cancellation to take effect.
You must inform your employer of the change of health insurance provider immediately.
Deadlines
as a rule:
- two months to the end of the month; prerequisite: membership with the previous health insurance fund already exists for at least 12 months (minimum commitment period)
- the change must be applied for at the new health insurance company
Special right of cancellation:
- exists if your health insurance company increases its supplementary contribution rate (the health insurance company must inform you of this and of the special right of cancellation)
- or if a higher supplementary contribution rate is charged by the newly created health insurance fund following the merger of several health insurance funds
- also for insured persons for whom the minimum commitment period has not yet been fulfilled
- thechange must be requested from the new health insurance fund by the end of the month for which the supplementary contribution rate is increased
Required documents
- if you cancel in person at your health insurance company: Your health insurance card
Costs
none
Miscellaneous
The new health insurance fund may not refuse membership or prevent or complicate the choice by providing incorrect or incomplete advice.
Legal basis
Sozialgesetzbuch Fünftes Buch (SGB V) (Versicherungspflicht):
- § 6 Versicherungsfreiheit
- § 53 Abs. 8 Wahltarife
- §§ 173 - 175 Wahlrechte der Mitglieder
- § 186 Beginn der Mitgliedschaft Versicherungspflichtiger
- § 242 Zusatzbeitrag
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 20.02.2025