Stuck in Germany...about to lose health insurance

There are some airlines still flying to the UK from Germany I know.

Hi,

Did you try with DKV ?

https://www.dkv.com/

Thnx. I will try.

phipiemar wrote:

Hi,

Did you try with DKV ?

https://www.dkv.com/

I talked to them. No luck. If anyone has any other idea, would be great to hear.

Maybe

https://www.axa-schengen.com/en

Sounds complex. I am going to give my thoughts on the subject but have to admit that there can be issues or details I am not aware of, not being an expert. But the background is that one has to be insured in Germany and such insurance is not dependent on an employer despite that an employer usually has to pay half of the premiums. Not sure how an insurance company can thus just drop someone. If one losses their job then they go to the unemployment office (Bundes Agentur für Arbeit or Arbeitsamt). There they would apply for the fitting social assistance which should then pay their health insurance.  Even a non-EU foreigner in Germany if they have unlimited residency should get this assistance.

I think when it is made know to a Germany Insurance company that they are leaving to work in another country the issue is not just stopping the coverage but stopping payments. Thus one is not getting charged for coverage they can’t use and being seen as failing to meet payment obligations. If they have notice from the UK’s NHS then it is a validation that the person is indeed elsewhere and doesn’t need to be covered. But until one goes to the UK and lives/works there then of course the NHS is not going to be covering them. But it would seem that the TK would be obliged to cover you until you actually leave, and that the date is in question due to travel restrictions should be for them to deal with. That you are still here and they stop coverage sounds illegal.

That you would have to find another insurance company to cover you until leave doesn’t sound correct either. Thus the suggestion by phipiemar of other insurance companies to contact sounds well-intentioned but not really the right solution. Germany insurance companies wouldn’t want to deal with someone just needing coverage for a few extra weeks or months, especially when the time period is uncertain.

The question is who to talk to at the TK if they insist they can drop your coverage before you leave. Or if they stick to their claims, who else can help you to force them to keep from dropping you since it would seem to be illegal? Not sure if there is some government office or official or if one would need a lawyer. This all sounds complex and annoying.

If nothing else can be worked out, I can only suggest that you look into getting to the UK as soon as possible. If you end up arriving a few weeks late and would actually have any medical situation in Germany then I would just use the TK health insurance card and let them figure it out if they want to claim you were no longer covered. Not a good situation but it could shift the burden of proof for the TK to show that they were no longer obliged to cover you, which only seems legal upon your successfully leaving the country.

The issue is not too difficult:
Every resident in Germany MUST have German health insurance and no insurance can (easily or at all) throw you out. Just losing your job does NOT end your current insurance with TK - it only means that you will have to pay the fees from your own pocket (also the 50% that previously your employer covered).
Just tell TK that your move is delayed and that your insurance should therefore be extended until your new moving date. They will have to arrange the needful.
(Independent of the health insurance question, Tom's suggestion above to register as unemployed with the labour office is a good one and you should follow it!)

I am still stuck with the confusion about why you are stuck in Germany when you have a job to go to in the UK?

Like Beppi mentioned; the insurance should be required to keep covering you until you leave but the employer would no longer have to pay any of the cost once you have left a job.

The other thing is that such insurance is set up to be an ongoing thing paid monthly, usually by bank transfer. If you stay on into June, then it is likely the premium for June will be booked off although you might not stay the whole month...

One should keep in mind any things like memberships in a fitness club which can often require 3 months notice and often one ends up paying a few months for nothing at the end...

Hello,

first of all, I want to thank you all for your answers.

The issue is (I believe, fingers crossed) resolved.

As some of you pointed out, TK offered me "freiwilige" insurance, which I have to pay on my own. My problem was, when I first communicated my situation to TK, they repeadetly refused to offer me any possibility to continue the insurance with them. After I called them again and explained that no one wants to insure me, they offered me Freiwilige insurance. This can as well be the mistake of the contact at TK with whom I talked in the first place (did not know, had to call in collegues to help with the issue, and finally said no).

P.S
The reason why I am not moving to UK at the moment is that I cannot even apply for a visa.

OK. As long as you are covered even though you will of course have to pay all instead of half of the premium like when employed. But hopefully it won’t be for long and they will make it possible on a monthly basis so that in the end you don’t end up having to pay for months of coverage after you have left. One would think that office work like visa issuing should start to happen again soon but they are also probably backlogged so such things will take even longer than normal once they resume.

Thank you.

Indeed, the cost is significant, but at least I have that option.