I don't know know why it never works to include a link, so I have to type it in. Strange isn't it???
Here is the link for the health plan:
https://portal.versicherungsdienste.de/dsw-studenten-kv/index.en.html
Freitag, 8. Juli 2011
Health Care Problems... solved!!!
Today I want to write about something I wouldn't have thought of some weeks ago. It is not the easiest thing to get health insurance... in Germany!!! That might sound strange for some people but let me tell you the story. Since the problem is solved I can kind of feel amused about it (but just kind of)
When my girlfriend came to Germany to do a masters program here in Berlin she was required to get at least the state health insurance for student which is 70 euro a month. Since she was covered under her mothers amazing health plan in the US she opted out of the German states health insurance and did not have to pay anything. She had to sign a paper which said that as long as she is still a student she will never be able again to get under the German state health plan. Her mother's plan covered everything even here in Germany. She never went to a doctor here, she just did that at home during the summers and the christmas breaks when she was in the USA. Thanks to President Obama this family coverage was extended for one year untill her 26th birthday. Well, she turned 26 at the end of june and since she is still a student untill october, we started in may to look for private coverage here in Germany. One could say that this was a bit late but we asked like 10 different companies and they all send us some offers. How convenient the cheapest offer was from a guy just one block away from our apartment. So we went there. It was still 145 Euro for the female student plan but my girlfriend was willing to pay for it since she saved a lot of money during the last 3 years.
The first setback accured when the insurance guy asked her for her residence permit. The insurance policies require a 2 years validity. Hers is just valid for 1,5 years. Well, this very helpful guy (exception) came up with a crazy idea which is totally legal but a bit strange. I applied as the policyholder but my girlfriend would be the insured person. 3 days later the guy called us and told us the result: He was very sorry but his insurance denied coverage since another requirement of private insurers is a existing health insurance that meets the german standards. Her mothers plan wouldn't meet these standards and she should have never gotten her residence permit. His insurance would cover her but she would have to pay the normal rate for her age 250 Euro per month (not the student rate) and she would have to pay for the last years (250 every month for 3 years= 9.000 Euro). This would be like it with all the other private insurance companies. Well, of course we did not take this plan (we can't afford it !!!) I thanked the guy for his work since he was really sorry about his insurance decision. I couldn't believe that every private insurance would say the same. Well, I was wrong on this. Every single one came up with the same thing. So I called the state health insurance company AOK and told them about the problem. Since she might get a job here in October anyway and everyone has to have health care there should be a way to get in. They said they are very sorry but she opted out and that is the law. No coverage!!!! At one point my girlfriend almost started to freak out. We felt like a hamster in a wheel. This mess could have caused serious problems for her university degree. The state insurances don't take her the private ones don't take her for other reasons. We both were really stressed. We didn't know what to do. To call the Ausländeramt and get to her again like in january that of course it was all my girlfriend fault to get her residence permit renewed because she must have tricked the Beamtin with her invalid health plan. We dreamed (a nightmare of course) about the Beamtin telling her: For this you have to suffer and pay a fine to the state and if you don't take the private plan offered i will through you out of Germany!!!!. No we did not call the Ausländeramt to ask what we could do??? The sad thing was wherever I called they told me: Sorry this is a very special problem, i cant help you. You have to take the offered private plan. My gf was really depressed and stressed: Why does Germany make it so hard for me to be here and why doesn't anyone help me??? Well sadly I could not give her an answer. For a week we didn't know what to do and just kind of ousted the problem.
Since her birthday was coming up we had to find a solution. After a 3 hours research on the internet she found a number where she asked me to call the next morning. I did and told them the problematic situation. I expected the normal german reaction: Well, you foolish deficient human beeing if she was so stupid to not get the states student plan when she came here she has to suffer now. (This is the summary of what we got to hear the weeks before.) But surprisingly she said: Yes, sure. She can be covered. She has to fill out the online formular and than it is 70 euro per month and she is covered. I was totally surprised and asked like 3 times if this is true. I could not believe it after all these failures. Could it be that easy??? and also cheap??? Long story short: YES IT IS!!!!. My girlfriend has a valid insurance and just in case someone else has the same problem i send you a link to the plan. It is a special plan for foreign students here in Germany. It could have been a lot easier than it was if you would find help at the university or at other places. It was kind of luck that we found this place.
When my girlfriend came to Germany to do a masters program here in Berlin she was required to get at least the state health insurance for student which is 70 euro a month. Since she was covered under her mothers amazing health plan in the US she opted out of the German states health insurance and did not have to pay anything. She had to sign a paper which said that as long as she is still a student she will never be able again to get under the German state health plan. Her mother's plan covered everything even here in Germany. She never went to a doctor here, she just did that at home during the summers and the christmas breaks when she was in the USA. Thanks to President Obama this family coverage was extended for one year untill her 26th birthday. Well, she turned 26 at the end of june and since she is still a student untill october, we started in may to look for private coverage here in Germany. One could say that this was a bit late but we asked like 10 different companies and they all send us some offers. How convenient the cheapest offer was from a guy just one block away from our apartment. So we went there. It was still 145 Euro for the female student plan but my girlfriend was willing to pay for it since she saved a lot of money during the last 3 years.
The first setback accured when the insurance guy asked her for her residence permit. The insurance policies require a 2 years validity. Hers is just valid for 1,5 years. Well, this very helpful guy (exception) came up with a crazy idea which is totally legal but a bit strange. I applied as the policyholder but my girlfriend would be the insured person. 3 days later the guy called us and told us the result: He was very sorry but his insurance denied coverage since another requirement of private insurers is a existing health insurance that meets the german standards. Her mothers plan wouldn't meet these standards and she should have never gotten her residence permit. His insurance would cover her but she would have to pay the normal rate for her age 250 Euro per month (not the student rate) and she would have to pay for the last years (250 every month for 3 years= 9.000 Euro). This would be like it with all the other private insurance companies. Well, of course we did not take this plan (we can't afford it !!!) I thanked the guy for his work since he was really sorry about his insurance decision. I couldn't believe that every private insurance would say the same. Well, I was wrong on this. Every single one came up with the same thing. So I called the state health insurance company AOK and told them about the problem. Since she might get a job here in October anyway and everyone has to have health care there should be a way to get in. They said they are very sorry but she opted out and that is the law. No coverage!!!! At one point my girlfriend almost started to freak out. We felt like a hamster in a wheel. This mess could have caused serious problems for her university degree. The state insurances don't take her the private ones don't take her for other reasons. We both were really stressed. We didn't know what to do. To call the Ausländeramt and get to her again like in january that of course it was all my girlfriend fault to get her residence permit renewed because she must have tricked the Beamtin with her invalid health plan. We dreamed (a nightmare of course) about the Beamtin telling her: For this you have to suffer and pay a fine to the state and if you don't take the private plan offered i will through you out of Germany!!!!. No we did not call the Ausländeramt to ask what we could do??? The sad thing was wherever I called they told me: Sorry this is a very special problem, i cant help you. You have to take the offered private plan. My gf was really depressed and stressed: Why does Germany make it so hard for me to be here and why doesn't anyone help me??? Well sadly I could not give her an answer. For a week we didn't know what to do and just kind of ousted the problem.
Since her birthday was coming up we had to find a solution. After a 3 hours research on the internet she found a number where she asked me to call the next morning. I did and told them the problematic situation. I expected the normal german reaction: Well, you foolish deficient human beeing if she was so stupid to not get the states student plan when she came here she has to suffer now. (This is the summary of what we got to hear the weeks before.) But surprisingly she said: Yes, sure. She can be covered. She has to fill out the online formular and than it is 70 euro per month and she is covered. I was totally surprised and asked like 3 times if this is true. I could not believe it after all these failures. Could it be that easy??? and also cheap??? Long story short: YES IT IS!!!!. My girlfriend has a valid insurance and just in case someone else has the same problem i send you a link to the plan. It is a special plan for foreign students here in Germany. It could have been a lot easier than it was if you would find help at the university or at other places. It was kind of luck that we found this place.
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