# Sick without health insurance



## Zon

I have been living in Germany for 2 months now, but as I still haven't started working yet I still don't have any health insurance, even for emergencies (and yes I know it is a stupid thing to do).

Problem is I now have a skin condition which is potentially very serious so I absolutely must get it checked out, but I can't afford expensive doctor visits and so on. Does anyone have any advice for me? Or does anyone know how much it would cost to have tests done on a skin condition without insurance?

I am also considering maybe going to Poland to be treated there, no idea about it but I assume it would be a lot cheaper...


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## James3214

If you lived in Europe before moving to Germany, you should of been able to get a European Health Insurance Card? (EHIC) which will cover you for emergencies. It's not valid for private treatment which sounds like what you need. Are you registered in Germany? I would go to the local doctors surgery asap and explain the situation and get an idea of the cost.


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## Zon

No unfortunately I was not in Europe for the last 10 years, even though I am originally from the UK. 

Well to be specific I have a skin problem that could very possibly be cancerous, which I've had now for almost 2 months but only discovered it could be dangerous these last few days. So not an emergency, but still something very urgent. But I guess even if I signed up for private insurance now it would not cover things like this which I already had before signing up, and as I am still a job seeker here in my first few months registering as unemployed would not cover any health insurance either right?


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## ALKB

Zon said:


> No unfortunately I was not in Europe for the last 10 years, even though I am originally from the UK.
> 
> Well to be specific I have a skin problem that could very possibly be cancerous, which I've had now for almost 2 months but only discovered it could be dangerous these last few days. So not an emergency, but still something very urgent. But I guess even if I signed up for private insurance now it would not cover things like this which I already had before signing up, and as I am still a job seeker here in my first few months registering as unemployed would not cover any health insurance either right?


You'd only be covered for health insurance if you receive payments from the Arbeitsamt or JobCenter. If you are simply registered as in "I am looking for work, I am available, please match me up with potential employers" and do not receive any benefits from them (as seems to be the case), health insurance is your responsibility.

Would it be possible for you to go to the UK and receive NHS treatment? Would you have a place to stay?

Otherwise this might be the point where you should apply for a job at a fast food joint or the like. It might not be great, not a career move and not something for long term but it would give you pretty much instant health insurance.


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## Zon

The problem is the NHS are so ridiculously slow with everything, and I can't afford to go and stay there for a month or make several trips. I think it would be easier just to try in Poland. 

If I were to get a job, does the health insurance start instantly and cover previous conditions (like this skin problem I've had for a few months)? Also, is there any minimum income or hours of work needed? For example could I get a job one night a week in a bar sort of thing?

Thanks for all the advice.


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## ALKB

Zon said:


> The problem is the NHS are so ridiculously slow with everything, and I can't afford to go and stay there for a month or make several trips. I think it would be easier just to try in Poland.
> 
> If I were to get a job, does the health insurance start instantly and cover previous conditions (like this skin problem I've had for a few months)? Also, is there any minimum income or hours of work needed? For example could I get a job one night a week in a bar sort of thing?
> 
> Thanks for all the advice.


I don't know whether I am absolutely up to date with this, but to my knowledge you would need at the very least 15 hours/week and € 401.00/month for health insurance. So, better two nights a week in a bar 

My husband and I have never been asked regarding pre-existing conditions (private insurers may do so, I think) and we have been in and out of the country a lot... A friend of mine signed up for health insurance being obviously heavily pregnant and nobody raised an eyebrow.

The HR department of your job should be able to help you get signed up quickly with an insurer - not sure whether you can see a doctor without the card, though. Maybe the insurer can send you a Mitgliedsbescheinigung but not sure whether that could replace the card. My insurance usually got me my new card within a few days but since the card now requires a photo, it might be a bit longer, with you sending the photo in, etc., etc.


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## Tellus

It 's irrelevant how long you are working during one month, you only have to earn more than 450 E and you ´ll be insured automatically. 
f.i. you'll get two jobs for few hours in different companies than both employments will be add to one sum. Minimum wage now 8,50 E/hr. in Germany
hard word: sozialversicherungspflicht = obligation to contribute to social insurance
look: Deutsche Sozialversicherung


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## Zon

Thanks for the advice everyone. So I think I will go with the cheapest private insurance option and just try my luck, I don't want to work in some crappy job as I have other goals in my life at the moment and I will need insurance anyway. So let's hope I won't have any serious condition and it will just pass by as a minor check up.


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## beppi

Health insurance is compulsory for everybody residing in Germany, and as far as I know it can be applied for retroactively (at least they will surely charge you the insurance premium for the months since you entered Germany). So you may approach a German public health insurer and become member (this will cost around EUR300/month if you do not work and get no government handouts).


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## uhura

beppi said:


> Health insurance is compulsory for everybody residing in Germany, and as far as I know it can be applied for retroactively (at least they will surely charge you the insurance premium for the months since you entered Germany). So you may approach a German public health insurer and become member (this will cost around EUR300/month if you do not work and get no government handouts).


let me see if I understood well...
Consider a scenario where i got here 3 months ago and still have no insurance, and let's suppose i get a job right now. So, the moment i become member of a public health insurer, they would charge me current month + previous 3 months that i was in germany without insurance
is that correct? that goes for privates insurers too?


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## beppi

Yes, you understood that correctly.
Hope that they forget to ask when you arrived in Germany, so you save those months' fees!
There have been cases of people here for years without insurance and suddenly been asked to pay many thousands of Euros retroactively.


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## jebadad

Private insurance wouldn´t cover preexisting conditions. Also, they wouldn´t charge you retroactively. Are you registered as a resident? If you want to stay for more than 3 months you have to. Not sure whether you can get public health insurance without proof of registration. You will be charged retroactively back to the date of registration by public insurance.


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## Kawasutra

As already mentioned there is a so called "Versicherungspflicht" in Germany. And it can not be that people from foreign countries come to Germany and get comprehensive medical treadment on the burden of the citizens.
And I dont like that you are getting advices here on the forum how to cheat the "system" to get perhaps very costly cancer treadment for free!!!

Best regards.


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## bluesaturn

Kawasutra said:


> As already mentioned there is a so called "Versicherungspflicht" in Germany. And it can not be that people from foreign countries come to Germany and get comprehensive medical treadment on the burden of the citizens.
> And I dont like that you are getting advices here on the forum how to cheat the "system" to get perhaps very costly cancer treadment for free!!!
> 
> Best regards.


Moin, moin, Kawasutra.
This is why the NHS is so bad. A lot of foreigners get some health care for free.
@The thread starter: Please visit a doctor and pay directly. Even a minor checkup by the German dentist for my friend who lives otherwise in US was just 30Euros. 
Furthermore, I don't like your attitude either. You would like to cheat the system rather than working in a low paid job because you have to high plans for yourself. Maybe your health should be worth it to be more honest.


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