Private Health Insurance for Employees – What Expats Should Know

If you're an expat working in Germany and considering private health insurance (PKV), it's important to understand how employer contributions work—not just for health insurance, but also for care insurance. Here’s a clear breakdown.

Employers Contribute to Both Health and Care Insurance

Your employer is legally required to share the costs for both private health insurance (PKV) and private care insurance (Pflegepflichtversicherung).

🎯 The maximum monthly employer contribution in 2025 is:

• €471.32 for health insurance (PKV)
• €99.23 for care insurance (or €71.66 in Saxony)

Total: up to €570.55 per month (or €543.98 in Saxony)

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Contribution Example

Let’s say you pay:

• €500 for health insurance
• €100 for care insurance

Your employer would cover:

• €250 (half of €500) for health
• €50 (half of €100) for care

Because both values are under the cap, your employer pays the full 50% – total: €300/month.

If your premiums were higher (e.g. €1,200 total), the employer’s contribution would be capped at €570.55 (or €543.98 in Saxony).‍

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What About Public Health Insurance (GKV)?

The employer contribution system in the statutory public insurance (GKV) works similarly – but the contribution is income-based, not benefit-based.

Here’s how it works in 2025:

• GKV contribution rate: 14.6% base + ~1.6% average additional = ~16.2% total
• Care insurance (PV): 3.4% (or 3.3% in Saxony), plus child surcharges where applicable
• Employer pays half of both, but only up to the same caps as in the PKV:
  • €471.32 for health
  • €99.23 for care (or €71.66 in Saxony)

So even in GKV, the employer’s contribution is capped. If your income is high, you’ll pay the rest yourself – just like in PKV.

💡 For high earners, this means:

• In GKV, you always pay the maximum contribution
• In PKV, you can choose a plan that costs less – and still get the full employer support‍

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‍Changing Jobs? No Problem

Your insurance (public or private) stays with you. If you’re privately insured, your new employer continues contributing after receiving your insurance certificate.

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Many expats in Germany pay the GKV maximum, without realizing they could have better coverage and flexibility for the same cost—or even less.

👉 Try our free eligibility test