Whether in gastronomy, service or retail - around seven million Germans had a mini-job in 2021. But how are mini-jobbers covered by health insurance? An overview.
Kassel – Whether recipients of citizen's money, students or pensioners – mini-jobs help many Germans to make ends meet. But how are mini-jobbers actually covered by health insurance? Is there no insurance in general? Does the employer pay? This is what you need to pay attention to.
What is a mini-job?
A mini-job is a job in which the monthly income does not exceed a certain limit. The term "mini-job" refers to the low remuneration and the associated limited social security obligation.
For a long time, the monthly salary for a mini-job was allowed to be a maximum of 450 euros. On November 1, 2022, this limit was raised. Since then, the salary cap has been 520 euros gross per month.
In the case of a mini-job, social security contributions are reduced. Mini-jobs can be carried out both as a main occupation (sole job) and as a secondary occupation (in addition to a main job). As a rule, mini-jobs are limited to a certain weekly working time, which is specified in the employment contract.
Mini-job in the catering industry: Here you have to be careful with health insurance. © Axel Heimken/dpa
Mini-jobbers are not automatically covered by health insurance
First things first: A mini-job does not automatically entail health insurance from the employer. Mini-jobbers have accident insurance, but not necessarily in the statutory health insurance. There is no compulsory health insurance for mini-jobbers. True, the employer has to pay various social security contributions. However, the employee is only insured in health insurance if he has a gross salary of more than 520 euros.
"That's why it's important that marginally employed people take out health insurance elsewhere," gegen-hartz.de sums up: Since every citizen residing in Germany is obliged to have health insurance, the following options arise for mini-jobbers:
- Membership in statutory health insurance as compulsory insurance.
- Free co-insurance through non-contributory family insurance.
- Voluntary insurance in statutory or private health insurance.
Health insurance for mini-jobs is paid for by the employer
For the mini-jobber, with a maximum salary of 520 euros, there are no costs for health insurance. These would only arise if the mini-jobber had to insure himself through a main job. Then employers and employees will have to pay contributions to health insurance.
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An example: A student advises against a mini-job and is insured by the family's health insurance. In this case, the contributions would be omitted. The insurance cover runs through the family insurance.
If a mini-jobber receives citizen's allowance at the same time, "the necessary contributions to health and long-term care insurance can be taken over by the job centers or employment agencies," says gegen-hartz.de: "The prerequisite for the assumption of costs, however, is that there is an entitlement to benefits."