Health insurance for pensioners: The best health insurance in old age

Created: 07/17/2022, 3:00 p.m

By: Laura Knops

Health insurance requirements change with age.

Which health insurance is suitable for pensioners and when it is worth changing.

Munich – Good health care is particularly important for pensioners.

Because even if many seniors are still fit in old age, the demands on health protection change over the years.

Anyone who is about to retire or has already retired should therefore think about the right health insurance company.

Many insurance companies offer age-appropriate treatment and additional benefits.

Here you can find out what pensioners should look out for when choosing their health insurance and which health insurance company offers the best services for seniors.

Health insurance for pensioners: The best health insurance in old age

Additional services and special offers for pensioners play an important role in choosing the right health insurance company (symbol image).

© YAY Images/Imago

Pensioners also have to pay social security contributions for their health insurance.

However, depending on the insurance cover and the selected health insurance company, different contributions are incurred.

Pensioners who are voluntarily insured have to pay more taxes than those who are compulsorily insured.

• Compulsorily insured: Anyone who was at least 90 percent legally insured during the second half of their working life is compulsorily insured in the health insurance for pensioners (KVdR).

  Pensioners only have to pay half of the general contribution rate – currently around 7.3 percent.

• Voluntarily insured: pensioners who do not meet these requirements must pay the general contribution rate in full pension.

  However, upon application, half of the premiums can be reimbursed by the insurance company.

• Family insurance: Spouses and life partners who do not have enough years of employment can, under certain circumstances, take out family insurance free of charge.

  The prerequisite is that they do not earn more than 470 euros per month.

• Privately insured: Those who are privately insured will remain so in retirement.

  Although the amounts remain the same, private insurance can sometimes become very expensive.

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Health insurance for pensioners: save money with a change

Although many insurance companies offer suitable services for seniors, there is no special health insurance company for pensioners.

If you want to change your health insurance company, you should therefore pay attention to coordinated therapy concepts, extra services in dentistry and treatments for eye diseases.

For pensioners there are also health insurers that are easy to reach in person or by telephone for organizational or medical questions.

According to experts from Stiftung Warentest, criteria such as more services in home nursing, household help in the event of a serious illness and the arrangement of specialist appointments can also be of interest.

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But regardless of whether you are an employee or a pensioner – those who are legally insured receive the same basic benefits from every health insurance company.

There are only differences in the additional contributions and the extras.

If you want to save money or attach great importance to special treatments, you should therefore think about changing patients.

Some insurance companies offer subsidies for tooth cleaning or osteopathic treatments.

Health insurance for pensioners: The best health insurance

Last year, the testers from “Focus-Money” examined which health insurance company is best suited to the needs of older people.

From the point of view of the experts, these include Techniker Krankenkasse and HEK at the nationwide level.

Regionally, however, "Focus-Money" recommends the AOK Baden-Württemberg and the IKK Südwest.

At the beginning of this year, eight funds lowered their contributions, 14 funds increased their contributions.

Pensioners who are legally insured can therefore save money every month by switching health insurance companies.

Changing health insurance is not difficult: you must have been a member of a health insurance company for at least twelve months.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.