Choosing statutory or private health insurance during the Referendariat (teacher or legal traineeship) depends on more than the monthly premium. Your legal status, health aid (Beihilfe) and your personal circumstances matter just as much. This guide works through an example with clearly marked assumptions and lists the points to check before you decide.
Short answer: Whether statutory or private cover fits you depends mainly on whether you are appointed as a civil servant. As a civil servant entitled to health aid, you are generally not in statutory insurance. For the statutory option, the 2026 general contribution rate is 14.6 percent, and the average additional contribution is 2.9 percent. Last updated: October 2026.
Key points
- Your legal status sets the basis: civil servant on probation with health aid, or a public-law training relationship.
- As a civil servant, health aid applies and private cover pays the rest. In a training relationship, statutory insurance usually applies.
- The statutory contribution depends on your income and is shared. The additional contribution is set by each fund.
- The example below uses assumptions. Your own numbers will differ.
- If you want to switch, check deadlines and commitments.
Why your legal status decides the basis
Under § 6 para. 1 no. 2 of Social Code Book V (SGB V), civil servants are exempt from compulsory insurance if they are entitled to continued pay and health aid under civil service rules. That exemption covers civil servants only. A public-law training relationship does not fall under it, so trainees in that form usually remain in statutory insurance as employees.
Whether you are appointed as a civil servant is set by state law. In Saxony, according to the Saxon justice ministry guidance on the choice (in German), you can choose between a civil servant appointment on probation and a public-law training relationship. In other states the form is fixed. Find out which status applies to you before you choose your health insurance.
Example: statutory insurance as an employee
Assumption: you are 25, have no children and receive trainee allowances of 1,800 euros gross per month. You are statutorily insured in a public-law training relationship, and your employer, the state, pays half of the contributions. You then pay only your share:
- Health insurance: the general rate of 14.6 percent plus the average additional contribution of 2.9 percent gives 17.5 percent. Your half is 8.75 percent, which is 157.50 euros on 1,800 euros.
- Long-term care insurance: the rate is 3.6 percent, so your half is 1.8 percent, which is 32.40 euros.
- Childless surcharge: from the month after you turn 23, you alone pay an additional 0.6 percentage points, which is 10.80 euros.
- Together, in this assumption, you pay 200.70 euros per month for health and long-term care insurance.
The rates come from the Federal Ministry of Health on contributions (in German) and its page on the childless surcharge (in German). The additional contribution is an average. Your fund may charge more or less. The general rate is set in § 241 SGB V.
Example: private insurance with health aid
As a civil servant on probation the calculation looks different. Health aid usually covers 50 percent of eligible costs, and your tariff covers the rest. Assumption: the trainee tariff for the remaining costs costs 150 euros per month. The table compares both options for the health insurance part only.
| Item | Statutory as employee (assumption) | Private with health aid (assumption) |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance, per month | 157.50 euros (your share) | 150 euros (remaining-cost tariff, assumption) |
| Benefits | Statutory benefit catalogue | 50 percent health aid plus tariff for the rest |
| Long-term care insurance | 43.20 euros including childless surcharge | Private long-term care cover, not calculated here |
The comparison shows that the monthly premium alone says little. The private route needs its own long-term care cover, and the statutory route covers costs without health aid. Your status will also change when you become a civil servant for life, so check that your tariff can handle that.
Factors that can change the decision
The arithmetic is only one part. These factors often matter more than a small difference in the premium:
- Pre-existing conditions: private tariffs can ask health questions. Statutory insurance has no health check.
- Family: with children, health aid rates and the contribution calculation change.
- Dental and vision care: benefits differ considerably between the two systems.
- Future: after becoming a civil servant for life, private cover usually continues, and switching back is restricted.
How to make the decision
A comparison works when both options are calculated with the same assumptions. Use your expected treatment costs, family situation and pre-existing conditions as the basis. Get tariff offers directly from the providers, because this guide does not name prices of individual insurers. For a personal assessment, you can contact Academycon through How we work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay voluntarily insured by statutory insurance during the Referendariat?
Whether that is possible depends on your legal status. Civil servants with a health aid entitlement follow a different route from trainees in a training relationship. The German guide on voluntary statutory cover explains the details.
What is my fund’s additional contribution?
The average additional contribution is 2.9 percent in 2026, according to the Federal Ministry of Health (in German). Each fund sets its own rate, so compare it before you decide, because it changes your total.
Do I have to switch again after the Referendariat?
That depends on your route. Becoming a civil servant for life changes the basis, and a switch between the systems is bound to deadlines. The German guide on switching from statutory to private cover explains how this works.
Is a trainee tariff worth it for me?
A trainee tariff is designed for the training period and fits health aid. It is not automatically the best choice. Check benefits, conditions and how the tariff continues after the training ends.
What you should do now
- Clarify your legal status with your appointing authority or the state examination office.
- Calculate both options with your own figures and the same assumptions.
- Get offers and benefit descriptions before you commit.
- Check deadlines and commitments before you cancel or switch.
Related reading
- Trainee Teachers in Statutory Health Insurance: How Voluntary Cover Works
- Civil Servant Health Aid During Training: Rates and Claims
- Legal Traineeship Insurance: Guide for Lawyers
- Krankenversicherung im Referendariat: GKV, PKV und Beihilfe (in German)
Sources: § 6 SGB V, compulsory insurance exemption (accessed October 2026); GKV-Spitzenverband, contribution figures 2026 (as of 1 January 2026, in German); Federal Ministry of Health, contribution rates (as of September 2026, in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
