Help for Your Health

If you meet the eligibility requirements and claim healthcare assistance from the social welfare office, you will receive the same healthcare benefits as a person with statutory health insurance. This means that benefits are paid for preventive health assistance and in the event of illness.

These include

• Preventive check-ups
• Medically prescribed preventive examinations
• Assistance in the event of illness
• Assistance with family planning: advice on contraception
• Assistance with pregnancy, maternity and childbirth 
• Assistance with sterilization

As a recipient of healthcare assistance, your social welfare provider will offer you the opportunity to select a statutory health insurance fund of your choice.  You will then also receive an electronic health card from this health insurance fund, which you can take with you to the doctor.

If you do not exercise your right of choice, you will be assigned a health insurance fund. 

If you receive healthcare assistance, your social welfare provider will pay for your visits to the doctor and other healthcare services. You yourself only have to pay the statutory co-payments. The limit for the co-payment depends on the amount of social assistance benefits you receive.

As a recipient of this social benefit, you are not a regular member of the health insurance fund, even if you receive an electronic health card. You are looked after by the health insurance fund on behalf of the social welfare office. Your social welfare office will therefore not pay any regular contributions for you, but will instead cover the treatment costs actually incurred.

If you no longer require assistance, the social welfare office will notify the health insurance fund. This also ends your entitlement to benefits from the health insurance fund.

You apply for health assistance at your local social welfare office. The social welfare office will check the application. If all requirements are met, you will receive an electronic health card or a treatment certificate. 

The application is free of charge. 

If you only receive social assistance benefits for one month without interruption, you must inform your health insurance fund. Your social welfare office will then cover the costs of health treatment. 

If you have been receiving healthcare assistance for at least one month without interruption, you will receive a digital insurance card from the health insurance fund of your choice. This will not give your doctor any indication of whether you are receiving social benefits. After your treatment, the doctor will bill the health insurance company as normal and the health insurance company will bill your social welfare office. 

If you no longer require health assistance, your social welfare office will notify the health insurance fund and the card will become invalid. You can then take out your own health insurance. 

Institutions such as Caritas or Malteser International offer free initial medical examinations or emergency care in the event of sudden illness, injury or pregnancy. They provide care at various locations in Germany for citizens from EU member states, visitors from other countries, but also students who have exceeded the standard period of study or self-employed people who can no longer pay their private health insurance.