Is your health insurance in Germany really kosher?

Greetings,everyone!This is my first blog here!I have a serious question for freelance expats living and working in Germany.Is your health insurance acceptable?Thousands of expats continue to be health insured with international providers such as BUPA,AXA,Interglobal or Germany-based travel insurers etc but are you aware of the consequences of that?Since the introduction of toughened health laws in January 2009 (VVG 193),everyone living,working and REGISTERED in Germany must have adequate health care - and,amongst other things, this includes the so-called Pflegeversicherung(long-term nursing care).This is not provided by the above insurers and similar.What are the implications?If found out by the authorities(eg through a tax declaration),you are liable to backpayments to February 2009,if you were living here then.If you become an employee and end up in the public system(gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), the same BACKPAYMENTS apply.If you are a non-EU citizen renewing or applying for a visa,your relevant Ausländeramt no longer considers the above insurances adequate cover and will turn down your application.This is,of course,also extremely annoying if youŽre now outside the EU and planning to come to Germany and you donŽt have this information.It is not enough to google some cheap quote from anywhere and think "thatŽs it".I am happy to answer your comments here!