Planning student health costs mainly means keeping three items in view. These are the monthly health insurance premium, the co-payments for medicines, aids and hospital stays, and services your insurance does not pay for at all or pays only in part. In compulsory student insurance, the contribution for health and long-term care insurance is about €143 to €148 a month in 2026. On top of this, set aside a buffer for out-of-pocket costs, ideally as a fixed reserve.
The most important points at a glance
- Compulsory student insurance costs roughly €143 to €148 a month in 2026 for health and long-term care insurance, depending on your age and your insurer’s additional contribution.
- Co-payments are usually 10%, at least €5 and at most €10. Higher amounts have been decided for 2027.
- The cost ceiling is 2% of your annual gross income for living costs, or 1% for people with chronic illnesses.
- Dental prostheses, glasses and aids remain a cost factor even with insurance.
- Privately insured patients first pay their bills themselves, so they need liquidity, and then submit them.
What do student health costs amount to per month?
The largest fixed item is the premium. In compulsory student insurance it is calculated on a fixed assessment base of €855. At a contribution rate of 10.22%, this gives a basic contribution of €87.38 a month. Added to this are your insurer’s additional contribution and long-term care insurance.
| Contribution items (2026) | Under 23 or with a child | Without a child from age 23 |
|---|---|---|
| Health and long-term care insurance without additional contribution | €118.16 | €123.29 |
| Additional contribution at the average rate of 2.9% (on €855) | About €24.80 | About €24.80 |
| Total monthly contribution | About €143 | About €148 |
The exact amount depends on your insurer’s additional contribution. If you are family insured through your parents, you pay no contribution as long as your total income is no more than €565 a month (2026). If you are exempt from compulsory insurance and move to private insurance, you pay a private premium according to your tariff. For an overview of what to look for in low-cost tariffs, see our article on low-cost private health insurance for students (in German).
Which co-payments apply during your studies?
Statutorily insured patients generally pay 10% of the sale price for medicines, aids and transport, at least €5 and at most €10, and never more than the actual cost. In hospital it is €10 per calendar day for up to 28 days. Therapeutic treatments cost 10% plus €10 per prescription.
Higher co-payments have been decided for 2027: the minimum rises to €7.50, the maximum to €15, and in hospital to €15 per day. So plan more generously for the year 2027.
When are co-payments capped? The cost ceiling
The cost ceiling limits how much you have to pay in co-payments in a calendar year: 2% of your annual gross income for living costs, or 1% for people with chronic illnesses. Example (assumed): your income for living costs is €12,000 a year. Then the ceiling is €240, or €120 with a chronic illness. Once you reach it, you can apply to your insurer for exemption for the rest of the year.
Important: you only apply once the ceiling has been reached, and the exemption applies to one calendar year. Own contributions for dental prostheses do not count towards it. So keep your co-payment receipts. The rules are explained by the Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centre).
What do dental prostheses, glasses and aids cost?
- Dental prostheses: The insurer pays a fixed subsidy of 60% of the standard supply, more with a regularly maintained bonus booklet. From 2027 a reduction to 50% has been decided. If you receive BAföG, the hardship rule can cover 100% of the standard supply. Current amounts are published by the Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Dental Health Insurance Physicians). Examples of private reimbursement can be found in our article on dental costs in private health insurance (in German).
- Glasses: Adults are only entitled to visual aids if they have a severe visual impairment, or more than 6.0 dioptres of short or long sightedness, or more than 4.0 dioptres of astigmatism. The insurer never pays for frames.
- Aids: The co-payment is 10%, at least €5 and at most €10 per aid. You bear any costs beyond what is necessary yourself. More on this under aids in private health insurance (in German).
How does cost planning differ in private health insurance?
As a privately insured patient you pay doctors’ bills yourself at first and submit them to your insurer. You therefore need liquidity until the reimbursement arrives. You can submit bills within three years from the end of the year in which they were issued. How much is reimbursed depends on your tariff, often with percentages and maximum amounts.
An excess lowers the premium, but increases the risk of paying costs yourself. Some tariffs pay a premium refund if you submit no bills for a year. As a rough guide, this can be up to around 50% of an annual premium. A hospital stay can also cause out-of-pocket costs, depending on what your tariff provides for accommodation in hospital (in German). The full range of benefits is described in our overview of what private health insurance covers (in German).
Also note this: with Beihilfe (state allowance), the private premium can initially be low during your studies. Beihilfe generally ends on reaching age 25, after which the burden rises considerably. Plan for higher costs early.
How do you build a reserve for health costs?
A reserve catches out-of-pocket costs that can hit several items at the same time, for example glasses, dental treatment and co-payments in the same year. The best approach is a separate account into which you transfer a fixed amount every month. The amount depends on your budget and your health, and there is no universal sum.
- List your fixed items: the premium and the co-payments you can expect.
- Check whether glasses, dental prostheses or a treatment are due in the next twelve months.
- Set a fixed monthly amount for the reserve and transfer it by standing order.
- Keep your co-payment receipts for the cost ceiling.
- Once a year, check whether your amount still fits your situation.
What does occupational disability insurance cost as a student?
Occupational disability insurance does not pay treatment costs. Instead, it secures your income if health reasons prevent you from practising your profession. It is therefore not one of the health costs in the narrower sense, but it is a fixed item that you plan into your monthly budget. How high the premium is depends on the contract and on the details you provide. What a start during your studies costs and what to look out for is covered in our article on occupational disability insurance for students (in German).
Frequently asked questions
What does a doctor’s visit cost as a student?
That depends on your insurance. Statutorily insured patients pay co-payments for medicines, aids and hospital stays under the rules above. Privately insured patients first pay the doctor’s bill themselves and receive reimbursement according to their tariff. Specific amounts depend on the treatment.
How high are the co-payments?
As a rule 10% of the sale price, at least €5 and at most €10, never more than the cost. In hospital it is €10 per calendar day for up to 28 days. Higher amounts have been decided for 2027. The cost ceiling caps the total in a calendar year at 2% of gross income, or 1% for people with chronic illnesses.
How large a reserve do I need for health costs?
There is no fixed sum. Orient yourself on upcoming items such as glasses or dental treatment, on the co-payments and on a buffer for the unexpected. If you pay in small amounts regularly, you have a basic reserve when it matters. If you have a chronic illness, plan higher.
Does the insurer pay for self-pay services?
Services that are not part of your insurance’s catalogue you pay for yourself. Ask for the costs before the treatment and check with your insurer or health fund whether anything is reimbursed. A supplementary insurance can cover part of the out-of-pocket costs, depending on the contract.
What you should do now
- Check how you are insured at present and how high your monthly contribution is.
- Make a list of your out-of-pocket costs for the next twelve months.
- Set up a reserve by standing order.
- Collect co-payment receipts and apply for exemption once the cost ceiling is reached.
- If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the homepage of Academycon (in German).
You can read reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was also mentioned in a report in VersicherungsJournal. An overview of all mentions is on our press page (in German).
Related articles
- Budget planning during your studies: a monthly budget in three steps (in German)
- Cost reimbursement in private health insurance: how the principle works (in German)
- Premium refunds in private health insurance: when not claiming pays off (in German)
- What does studying cost? Total costs at a glance (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
