When a statutory health insurer (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) is closed or files for insolvency, many insured people ask the same question: does my cover continue, and what do I need to do? The law gives a clear answer in its main outlines. The details depend on the specific procedure.
Short answer: Under section 175 subsection 3a SGB V, an insurer must provide information within six weeks if it is closed or becomes insolvent. If the insurer is not closed, your membership continues. Members without a reporting body inform the closed insurer within three months. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points in brief
- If an insurer closes or becomes insolvent, it must provide information within six weeks.
- For an insolvency application, the report is due on the first day of the current month.
- If the insurer is not closed, your membership remains in place.
- Members without a reporting body inform the closed insurer within three months.
- A switch after a closure follows different rules from a voluntary change of insurer.
What happens on closure and what happens on insolvency?
An insolvency does not automatically mean that a health insurer disappears. The law distinguishes between an application for insolvency and the actual closure of the insurer. What matters for your membership is whether the insurer is closed in the end. If it is not closed, your membership remains in place under section 175 subsection 3a sentence 4 SGB V.
An application for insolvency triggers a specific report. It is due on the first day of the current month. Mark that fixed date in your calendar, because it determines the timing of the report.
Which deadlines apply to you?
The deadlines in section 175 subsection 3a SGB V are the most important figures here. The table below shows them together.
| Event | Deadline or reference date | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Closure or insolvency: information from the insurer | Within six weeks | Section 175 subsection 3a sentence 1 SGB V |
| Insolvency application: report | First day of the current month | Section 175 subsection 3a sentence 3 SGB V |
| Member without a reporting body informs the closed insurer | Within three months | Section 175 subsection 3a sentence 6 SGB V |
The table shows that different bodies have different duties. For you as a member, the key point is the information you give the closed insurer if you are responsible for it yourself.
The duties run in both directions. The insurer must inform within the six weeks, and you must keep the insurer informed about your situation if no other reporting body does so. Keeping both sides in view avoids losing time.
Does my cover continue?
If the insurer is not closed, your membership continues. Where the insurer is closed, it must provide information within six weeks. This information is the starting point for planning your further cover.
How care is provided during the transition cannot be answered in one line. Ask your former insurer in writing how benefits are provided during the transition period, and keep all replies.
What changes when you switch after a closure?
The voluntary switch follows the deadlines in the article on the minimum commitment. A closure or insolvency is a different process. You do not switch by your own decision but because the insurer no longer exists or is no longer run.
Basic questions about changing insurer, such as which fund suits you, are covered in the guide switching health insurance as a student (in German). It also explains the link between deadlines and the process of choosing a new insurer.
Keep documents safe
In an insurer crisis, records count. They help you prove entitlements, reconstruct deadlines and answer queries quickly. Keep the following documents carefully until the situation is clarified.
- Your insurance card and the confirmation of your membership.
- All letters from the insurer, including envelopes with dates if the letter itself does not show one.
- Receipts for copayments, medical bills and treatments in the relevant period.
- A note with the names of contact persons and the dates of phone calls, so you can document queries.
If you have paid copayments, the limit on copayments is also worth a look. Copayments can add up over a year, and your receipts decide whether an exemption can be applied for. The guide Applying for a copayment exemption: form, evidence and deadlines explains the steps.
What not to do in an insurer crisis
In uncertain times, quick decisions are often made without checking the facts. Three mistakes are easy to avoid.
- Leaving letters from the insurer unopened, although the deadlines are in them.
- Choosing a new insurer too quickly, before you know the information from the old one.
- Reacting to rumours on social media instead of waiting for official notices.
Frequently asked questions
Do I lose my health insurance cover in an insolvency?
Under section 175 subsection 3a SGB V, your membership continues as long as the insurer is not closed. Stay alert to post from your insurer and note the deadlines.
Do I have to join a new insurer straight away?
That depends on whether your insurer is closed. If it is not closed, your membership remains in place. If it is closed, wait for the insurer’s information and observe the deadlines that apply to you.
Can an insolvency be a reason to terminate?
The question cannot be answered by the word insolvency alone. What matters is whether the insurer is closed and which notices follow. A binding answer for your case comes from the insurer or the competent supervisory authority.
Who tells me what is happening?
The insurer must provide information in the event of closure or insolvency. Watch for letters from your insurer and for official notices from the supervisory authority. Be careful with reports that do not name a clear source.
What to do now
- Read the letters from your insurer carefully and note the deadlines, in particular the six weeks for the information.
- Check whether the insurer is being closed or has only applied for insolvency, because that decides whether your membership continues.
- If you are responsible yourself, inform the closed insurer within three months.
- Ask your insurer and the supervisory authority how benefits are provided during the transition period.
Related reading
- Health insurance 2027: what changes for insured people and students
- Health insurance minimum commitment: how long you stay after a switch
- Switching health insurance as a student: deadlines, procedure and special right of termination (in German)
- Health insurance for students: glossary from A to Z
Sources: Section 175 SGB V, exercise of the right of choice, gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed November 2026.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
