# Expat living & working in Germany (4 year assignment); wife not working but forced to pay public health insurance despite Cigna International coverage



## lespaul00 (16 d ago)

Hello everyone! First post for me here. I am an American who moved to Germany in early 2019 for a 4 year work assignment. I, my wife, and my daughter are all covered under my Cigna International private insurance offered by my employer. My wife was not working when we arrived to Germany, and was still able to obtain her Residence Permit with the Cigna International coverage (so no issues with only having Cigna International coverage at the time). After 1 year, she started working (Feb 2020). At that time, despite being covered by Cigna International, she started paying "mandatory" contributions to the public system via Pronova (although it was never used). After some months of working, she switched to Generali insurance (instead of Pronova) to try to save some money. She stopped working after a little more than 1 year (in April 2021), still using only our Cigna International plan for health needs. However, upon asking Generali to cancel the insurance since she was no longer working and already covered by Cigna International (the same as when we first moved here), Generali refused to cancel, stating she is required to pay and her situation does not qualify for a cancellation. Is this true? Why should she have to pay for a second insurance, especially since she's not working?


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

You may need to engage a lawyer or insurance specialist to conduct an angry exchange of letters with the insurance company. It's possible that something is being lost in translation.

Your wife probably should not have opted in to public insurance when she started working. I'm not really an expert here but I think she could have claimed that she already had private insurance.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Harry Moles said:


> You may need to engage a lawyer or insurance specialist to conduct an angry exchange of letters with the insurance company. It's possible that something is being lost in translation.
> 
> Your wife probably should not have opted in to public insurance when she started working. I'm not really an expert here but I think she could have claimed that she already had private insurance.


Generali and Pronova are not statutory insurance providers. Personally, I wouldn´t touch private insurance with a three foot pole.

I agree, OP needs a specialist in insurance law/regulations.


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

ALKB said:


> Generali and Pronova are not statutory insurance providers.


Even better. Ouch.

Can't wait for the fireworks when they try to cancel their gym membership before leaving Germany!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

lespaul00 said:


> After 1 year, she started working (Feb 2020). At that time, despite being covered by Cigna International, she started paying "mandatory" contributions to the public system via Pronova (although it was never used).


Once she entered the employment system, she was obligated to enroll in the health insurance system through her employer. If she is eligible for unemployment, she needs to register with the Arbeitsamt. (OK, they may have changed the name of the office - it has been a long time since I dealt with them.) But using a private cover is kind of irrelevant here - she's enrolled in the system and needs to play this through. I'd suggest she contact the Arbeitsamt (or whatever it's called these days) and determine what her status is with regard to the state mandated insurance. (FWIW I found the counselors there to be very sympathetic and helpful.)


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

I don't think this has anything to do with unemployment. It sounds like a problem with a private insurer refusing to drop coverage (that was probably never needed in the first place).

Generali is a private insurer but Pronova appears on the list of statutory providers as a BKK.


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## lespaul00 (16 d ago)

Harry Moles said:


> I don't think this has anything to do with unemployment. It sounds like a problem with a private insurer refusing to drop coverage (that was probably never needed in the first place).
> 
> Generali is a private insurer but Pronova appears on the list of statutory providers as a BKK.


Yes, this seems to indeed be the issue. I now have a lawyer involved. Wish me luck, and thanks for the support! 

P.S. I'll send in my gym termination now, assuming they "don't let me go" for 6 months, lol


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

lespaul00 said:


> Yes, this seems to indeed be the issue. I now have a lawyer involved. Wish me luck, and thanks for the support!
> 
> P.S. I'll send in my gym termination now, assuming they "don't let me go" for 6 months, lol


Good, you know about the importance of sending a Kundigungsbrief at least a year before departure!

Hate to say it but your wife probably should have declined any health insurance when she took the job.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Harry Moles said:


> Hate to say it but your wife probably should have declined any health insurance when she took the job.


Is that even an option when taking up employment in Germany? (Honest question on my part - not being snarky.)


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

Bevdeforges said:


> Is that even an option when taking up employment in Germany? (Honest question on my part - not being snarky.)


If she already had viable private insurance coverage from her husband's employer - it was good enough for the Ausländerbehörde - then to the best of my (limited) knowledge she should have been able to decline. She later opted out of public and went private to save money.


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